


His Mercy

by floraniii



Category: Alien vs Predator (2004), Aliens vs Predators Series - Various Authors, Predator Original Series (1987-1990), Predators (2010), The Predator (2018)
Genre: Alien Cultural Differences, Alien Culture, Alien Sex, Aliens, Breeding, Claiming, Dubious Consent, Eventual Romance, F/M, Hunters & Hunting, Interspecies Relationship(s), Interspecies Sex, Master/Pet, Monster sex, Porn With Plot, Public Sex, Rough Oral Sex, Sexual Tension, Smut, Submission, Vaginal Sex, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:09:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 21
Words: 57,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25804912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/floraniii/pseuds/floraniii
Summary: After being dropped in the jungle by her spiteful, military ex, Lilly comes eye to eye with the feared Predators. Her encounter with one will change her life forever, in ways that she has no clue of yet.
Relationships: Predator/Human, Yautja (Predator)/Original Character(s), Yautja (Predator)/Original Female Character(s), Yautja (Predator)/Reader
Comments: 221
Kudos: 611





	1. Betrayal

A sharp, aching pain awakens me. My body feels like it’s been laying still for days, muscles rusted and mouth dry as I open my eyes to take in my surroundings.  
The stinging feeling all over my scalp that woke me up returns and I carefully move my hand around on it, fingers running through my tangled hair to feel for any wounds, which are luckily left undiscovered.

I squint as my blurry vision slowly starts clearing up. After blinking a few more times I can finally make out what I'm seeing. As soon as my gaze meets my reflection staring back at me I feel shock rattle my body. _Where the fuck am I?_  
My hands slam against the reflecting surface as I move to my knees in the metal box, my foggy mind-clearing in an instant.   
“Help!” Is the first thing that comes out of my mouth, voice hoarse as I scream. Deafening silence is all I get in return.

A small breeze licks against my ankles, drawing my attention to where holes are letting through daylight at the bottom of the cage. The air coming through them feels hot and clammy, yet the metal surrounding me is cold as ice. I scratch at them like a wild animal, desperate to get out, but the rows of pinky-sized holes don’t butch.

I draw my shaking hands back into my lap, grabbing my knees hard as I rack my brain for answers. _How did I get here? Who took me here? And most importantly, how do I get out of here?_  
A voice enters my ear, almost seeming in sync with my thoughts. “I hope you slept well.”

I grab at my right ear, just now noticing the earpiece curled around it. The panic rushing through me leaves me unable to identify the voice, but I know it sounds familiar. "Hello? Please help, I'm trapped." I try to say as calmly as I can.

A low chuckle from the other end of the earpiece makes my blood run cold, instantly realizing who I'm talking to. "Connor?!" I ask, shocked.

"You got it, sweetheart. Was almost scared there for a moment, thought the gas scrambled your brains." Connor says nonchalantly.

I dig my nails in the skin of my palms as I ball my hands tightly. He isn't here to help me, I'm almost sure of it.

"I'm so glad to hear your voice. Please, Connor, I'm really scared." I fake a sweet tone.

"Oh, there is nothing to be scared of! Right now you are safe as can be in your little box. They can't see it's heat signature or anything." My frustration rises at his matter-of-fact, smug tone.

"You aren't making any sense! Let me out!" I say and slam against the side of the box again with my hand to accentuate my point, my anger pouring out.

I can hear Connor laugh and talk to people just out of hearing range, seemingly mocking me. I bite my lip, this is why you don't fucking date army generals with issues. Or at least don't break up with one.

Connor was normal enough when I met him, a bit damaged, but who could blame him after all he had seen. He wasn't the biggest charmer, and our personalities barely alined, but he definitely had the looks. Even with the nasty scar that covered almost half his face, he had an amazing physique. Damn me for being a superficial idiot.

"Listen, Lilly, I'll keep it short and simple for you." Connor starts. _Of course, he keeps it short, no surprise there._ "I had so much fun when we were together, and now I'm going to have some more. I will watch when I can so put on a good show for me. Good luck!" My eyes widen at his words. What the hell is going on?!

"No! No! I didn't do anything to you, Connor!" I half yell but get no answer, the earpiece cutting to very soft white noise.

I curse and slam against the box again, throwing my weight against the sides with all I have. The box stays sturdy, I don't even make it shake.

Deciding to spare my energy I pull my knees up against my chest, back resting against the cold metal wall at the end of the box. And I wait, for whatever is to come.


	2. Where hope goes to die

After waiting in the box for what feels like hours I start to hear distant voices.  
I immediately start screaming for help and thrashing against the inside of the box. Anxiety shakes my body as I pray for a response.   
My heart speeds up in my chest as rapid footsteps approach and people shout back at me, answering my plea.

"Hold on, you are almost out!" A man says outside the box and I hear them messing with a lock above me.

Relief washes over me as the long top of the cage opens up with a loud creak, harsh daylight washing over me. Hands reach out, grabbing onto my arms and helping me get up and step out of my prison.

"Thank you! Thank you!" I say, looking around at the group of men surrounding me. There are six of them, all dressed in military uniforms with disgruntled faces staring at me.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" An older man with ginger hair yells out at me.

I want to huff at him for his tone, but then our surrounding dawns on me. **A rainforest.** Foreign animal sounds are all around us, thick leaves, vines, and trees covering my sight from all sides. The humid, hot air clings to my skin, sweat already starting to form.

"I... I was dumped here by uh... General Connor Eyler from the Green berets." I tell him, attempting to keep my voice steady.  
I have no clue what to make of this situation, my mind is drawing a blank.

The men look at each other, weighing my statement.

"Seems like she's telling the truth, Lawrence, look at her." The tall one next to the ginger says, who grumbles something incoherent.

I look down at myself in shame. I'm still wearing my sundress that I went to the park in, which now seems inappropriately low cut. The only thing I'm happy about is that I chose my ballerina flats instead of my heels. To say that I stick out like a sore thumb surrounded by these uniforms is an understatement.

"You must really have gotten on his bad side." One of the men says, he's standing near enough for me to read that his name tag says 'S. Turner'. Now I'm looking at the uniform up close I recognize the symbol of the green berets, just above what seems to be a tiny bodycam attached to the fabric. I have to resist the urge to flip Connor off through it.

I shrug at him with a sheepish smile. "It didn't take a lot really." Some of the men chuckle but especially Lawrence's face looks hard as stone.

"We don't have time for this. Sorry girl, but we are on a mission and distractions can't be afforded." He announces before turning his back on me and striding away, waving his hands to the other men in a following motion. "Best of luck to you."

I can't believe it. These men are going to leave me here by myself!

Just as they all start following in suit to Lawrence I grab onto Turner's arm. "I'm a civilian! You can't just leave me wherever the fuck here is!" I say, looking at him and the group with pleading eyes. Turner's lips press into a small line as he stares at Lawrence's back, who is clearly their commando.

Lawrence sighs, not turning around as he speaks. "Listen, if this was your average mission I would have no second thought about taking you with us. But **this** is different. We have to focus on our _own_ survival at every second of the day, and we can't break this off either."

I shake my head desperately, releasing Turner's arm. "I'm not asking you to protect me nor break off the mission. All I want to do is follow you, without that, I have no clue of direction and no chance of survival."

Narrowing his eyes, Lawrence turns around to look at me. "You really don't know where we are, do you?" He asks me and I quickly answer with an honest no.

He rubs the sweat off his forehead with his sleeve, seemingly at least considering.

"We are in an isolated part of the Selva rainforest." Lawrence tells me, but that doesn't really clear things up for me. _Why would I be somewhere in South America?_

A distant sound seemingly alerts the men and they hastily draw their weapons. I look around, wide eyes and trying to see or hear whatever they seem to have spotted. All I hear is a faint noise a bit like a woodpecker, but that doesn't make sense.

"We need to get moving, now! Tag along all you want but you are watching your own ass!" Lawrence yells and points at me.  
I quickly nod and follow them as they start to hurry through the jungle.

**\---------------------------------------------------------------------**

The veiled hunters move through the jungle with ease, staying close to the human group without their knowledge.  
They could smell them. They could smell her.

Missing the human female before she had been retrieved by her species was a huge overside. Her smell is thick, sickeningly-sweet. It reminded them of the Ewuskoss flower from the desert planet Newei. It's sweet smell and running nectar promising release from the drought, yet one drip will put you in dhi’ki-de, the longest sleep. Thua'ste doubted that this human possessed the same poisonous quality.

"The female is dressed in different clothing. Is it a special garment?" Vain-bhihre questions, his mandibles flared as he watches the humans from the height of a tree. Recently blooded, he hadn't seen human cities yet.

Thua'ste jumps to where his brother is, taking place next to him.  
His eyes narrow behind his mask. Thua'ste recognizes the garment from his many trips to Terra. Anger rushes through his form and he straightens his back. Is this human mocking them?!

"It's what they wear at their homes." Thua'ste answers his brother's question.

From the look on Vain-bhihre's face, he is questioning if this is mockery as well. "Her heart flutters like a bird's in a cage and her fear is thick." He notes.

Thua'ste growls in agreement with his brother. This human is no match nor threat, and she's aware of it.

The sun is starting to set, having followed the humans for hours, it's now almost time to strike.

Thua'ste's interest in the human female has been peaking. The males don't offer her any food, just tell her which leaves are nonpoisonous and give her sips of water. She must be exhausted, yet she stubbornly keeps following them.  
The heart rates of most of the males slightly elevate when around her, Thua'ste notes. She must be considered attractive in Terra standards. As he watches them take a break, his guarded eyes rest on her form. She has less muscle mass than the females they usually encounter. Her features are a bit rounder, appearing to attract some looks from the men.

Thua'ste cocks his head in curiosity, softly clicking. She is captivating in a human kind of way he supposes.

Vain-bhihre impatiently growls from his right, pulling him from his thoughts, and he gives him an approving nod in response.

**Let the hunt begin.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dhi’ki-de = unconsious  
> terra = Earth


	3. H-chak

The darkness creeps up way faster than they had anticipated. One moment I sat on the dry ground, sunlight still burning my pale skin, and the next I could almost see nothing anymore.

The tall man, who I found out is named Reese, quickly lights several torches with his lighter, passing them around to the others.  
I stand up and nervously fiddle with my fingers. I'm not getting a torch, I already know that. I am barely tolerated to be around them, and if I'm to believe the stories they told me about the creatures here, the so-called 'predators', I can't blame them.   
Even though I know that my frustration can't help but to increase. If I lose them now, I will be completely blind. My night sight has never been the best, and with the rays of the moon almost completely being drowned out by the leaves I can't see anything without a light.

"Alright guns ready! We can't afford a repeat of last night!" Lawrence orders and I swear I can hear the fear in his voice.

Turner had told me what had happened. They had lost three men, being constantly hunted from midnight till the upcoming midday. He said the men had screamed for mercy or a quick death at least, but none had been shown.

A loud roar somewhere distant from my left shakes me out of my thoughts. I don't need to know it's language to know what it signifies.   
**Hunting season has started.**

The trees and vines sound like they are snapping as the creature makes its way towards us. My feet quickly carry me to behind the line of men, who have their weapons ready to fire.  
Then it steps out, and I feel my hope disappearing. The creature is giant, covered in armor, netting, and bones. Its humanoid qualities are drowned out by its obvious alien ones. Two giant blades slide out of the predator's right cuff as he charges forward, the men quickly opening counter fire. Even with its seemingly huge bodyweight, it moves like water, quick and agile.

The deafening gunfire and fear send me hurling backward, almost tripping over my own feet.

Wide-eyed, I watch the creature pierce one of the men on his blades. The man gurgles up blood as he is hoisted into the air before being thrown to the floor, the wet sound of his pierced body hitting the dirt making my mind reel. It just threw a full-grown man around like it was nothing.

The men's shouting sounds like a foreign language to me, none of the words registering, except for one."Retreat!"

I want to go after them, watching them disappear between the trees, running for their lives, and dropping some torches to the floor. I force my frozen feet to move, stepping out of the edge of the clearing to follow the others.  
But I can't. The Predator is standing right there, Lawrence crawling over the floor in front of it, leg mangled. I gasp in surprise and quickly cover my mouth with my hand. I hadn't even noticed the second creature, even bigger than the other. Its helmet is marked with stripes of what appears to be blood and it's dreadlock-looking appendages hang low around its neck.

"Come on then fucker!" Lawrence screams at the Predator in front of him. Slashing towards its legs with the knife he's holding. I watch in horror as the creature stands over him, completely unfazed by the cutting, turning to look the same way as Lawrence. Its hand reaches out and I know this going to be the end.

Without thinking, I quickly take off one of my flats and throw it at the Predator. "Hey! You missed one, assholes!"

My heart drops to my stomach as it turns it's gaze towards me, and now I wish the torches would burn out. Oh well, without military guidance I was dead anyway, I just sped it up a bit.

The Predator on top of Lawrence wants to move towards me, clearly pissed off, but the bigger one stops him with a snarl.

"Run you du-" Lawrence's sentence is cut short as the Predator plunges its hand into his back. He is only allowed one guttural scream before his spine is ripped right out, taking his head with it.  
I gag from the shock. All the things that I thought of that could happen, this wasn't one of them.

The bigger one makes a clicking noise, seemingly satisfied with his companion.   
I turn on my heels to run, but before I get even a feet away a large claw grabs me by the back of my neck. I franticly kick my legs around as I'm hoisted in the air and carried. My neck hurts from carrying my whole body weight and I'm scared it's going to crack. The Predator presents me to the one with the bloody helmet and I make sure to keep my face as straight as I can. I am utterly terrified, but I will not give them the satisfaction of seeing it on my face.

The Predator stares at me from under his helmet for what feels like minutes, before letting out a snarl. I'm dropped to the floor, my nose scrunching up as I feel my knees scrape against the rough dirt and sticks on the ground.

"S’yuit-de!" The big one spits at me, seemingly cursing.

I look up at him, right to where his eye slits are. "Fuck you." I can't believe those will be my shitty last words.

The Predator behind me roars out in anger but the other silences him once again. He squats down in front of me, roughly grabbing my face with his claw. Turning my face side to side, he clicks softly.  
What is he doing?

Not allowing me any further thoughts, the Predator pulls out a vial from god knows where and puts it underneath my nose, knocking me out within a second.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> S’yuit-de = Idiot


	4. Captured

For the second time that day, I wake up with a foggy mind. This time in a giant, roughly-build, barred cage.  
"No, no, no." I mumble, quickly scrambling to my feet. How does this keep on happening?!

I'm not in the Selva anymore either, instead, I'm in a room made of what seems to be slick blackish metal, rows of lights illuminating it. My hands wrap around the metal bars, which of course won't butch.  
"Hello? Hello!" I scream, staring at the room's heavy-looking door.

My blood runs cold as I realize what the last thing I saw was. That thing, the Predator.  
No, it can't be, why would it take me here? That's crazy. Right?...

A low beep sounds and the room door slides open. I hold my breath as my crazy thought enters the room.  
The Blood-Helmet Predator walks in, clicking as he slowly approaches my cage. I stand my ground, firmly keeping to the front of the cage. It's too late to take my balls back now.

He stares again for a second before moving his claws up to take off his helmet. My breath hitches in my throat as he shows me his face. Dark golden eyes stare into mine, his muddy light-green skin lighter around his face, and most notably, the four-pointed mandibles that he flares at me. It's definitely unique, but not the scariest visual I've seen today.  
The Predator clicks, seemingly satisfied with my reaction.

He points one of his clawed fingers at his chest. "Thua'ste."

I blink in confusion before realizing that he's probably telling me his name.

"Okay... I'll need to you repeat that a few times." I say before pointing at myself as well. "Lilly."

"Lee-y." He repeats back at me, and I nod yes at his butchered rendition of my name.

"Can you understand my language?" I ask.

"Sei-I." Thua'ste answers and nods.

I'm not sure exactly what I should do or say now. I just witnessed them slaying humans.  
He seems to sense my uneasiness.

"M-di h'dlak, ooman." He tells me, but I don't understand anything besides human.

"Why am I alive?" The question comes out of my mouth before I can think about it and Thua'ste seems slightly taken aback as well. I don't think he has an answer either.

**\----------------------------------------------------------------------**

Thua'ste had left the human after her foolish question, ignoring her pleas to be let out.

Pauk! Why did he take her?! To let a human life is one thing, to take them with you is another one.  
His brother Vain-bhihre had left on his own ship after he assured him he would kill the human, but did Thau'ste intend to keep that promise?

Something about the female had captured him. He should have already been alarmed by his fascination with her while watching the humans, but he had pushed it aside.  
Then there she was, kneeling in front of Thua'ste in submission, her big, alien eyes shimmering like emeralds in the flickering light of the torches as she looked straight at him. He couldn't resist, his claw reached out to feel her soft flesh under it, completely outside of his control.

Cjit! Thua'ste wasn't some reckless unblooded, he was an elite. How could he have been so foolish?  
Did he take her as a trophy? No, he wasn't planning on killing her.  
Did he take as a slave? No, humans were pretty useless at that.  
Did he take her as a mate? Thua'ste felt his anger rise at the thought. How could a great Yautja warrior like him breed with a weak human? His bloodline would be ruined!  
Yet the last one pulls at him, desire building in his chest at the thought.

Thua'ste slams his fist down on his workplace, the metal scraps on it clattering from the force. He would push these thoughts and feelings far down, where they would not disgrace him.  
For now, he would keep her as his pet, he decided. No Yautja would deny the claim that humans are their inferiors. This way he would have free reign to do whatever he pleased to the human, to Lilly.

**\----------------------------------------------------------------------**

After what were probably actual hours, Thua'ste returns.

I have decided that I will not push my luck from now on. I was spared so I should be grateful, even though I was kidnapped afterwards. It seems better to just accept it and live with it than make it harder for myself. Judging from what I know, I'm fairly sure that no matter how much I plead I will never go home.

Thua'ste brings me a plate and when I see the contents of it I feel like crying tears of joy.  
Slices of oranges, papayas, and mangoes cover the big plate's surface. I watch in awe as he opens a small door at the bottom of the cage, sliding the plate through it. When the fruit is in front of me I eagerly grab some, savoring the sweet smell before biting down on it.

Now I'm eating I can feel how hungry I actually was, my stomach cramping in need of more food. I don't even realize that the Predator is still watching me until I'm half done with the plate. He stands there silently, his mandibles folded in as he observes. I'm guessing for him it's like watching a monkey eat at the zoo, but at the moment I couldn't care less, I'm far too hungry.

After I finish the fruits I set the plate down in front of the tiny door. Thua'ste steps forward and takes it back to his side again, staying silent.

"Thank you." I tell him. I realize that he must have gotten the fruit from the rainforest, and he doesn't seem like a big fan of it himself so it must have been to feed me. I get no response, he only turns to exit the room.

"Wait!" I call out and Thua'ste turns back to look at me.

"Can I have some water? Please?" I ask carefully.

"Sei-I" He responds, nodding his head before taking his leave.

That word must mean yes. I repeat it to myself as I wait, practicing the pronunciation. "Sei-I."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sei-I = Yes  
> Pauk = Fuck  
> Cjit = Shit  
> M-di h'dlak = No fear  
> Ooman = Human


	5. Human pet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **WARNING**  
>  This chapter contains slight sexual themes & rough treatment*  
>  _*Please note that this behavior is never acceptable in real life!_

Thua'ste did bring me the water.  
He brought me all the food and drink that I needed to survive, but after sleeping on the cold, hard floor of my cell the last two days I'm feeling less thankful.

I can hear him working on something, the sounds of him seemingly throwing shit around resonates through the ship. He even came to scan me with some device yesterday, no clue why.

Sitting against the back wall, I stare up at the ceiling. I didn't think a human could ever be so bored.

I feel relieved when I hear the beep of the door, Thua'ste’s presence at least brings some distraction.  
He motions me to stand up with his claw and I abide. I watch as he scans his hand on the cells lock, the door clicking open. Thua'ste opens it, but I stay still, wearily looking at him. He roars impatiently in response while motioning for me to come. I give in to his demand, and as soon as I'm out he closes the door behind me.

He is standing so close to me now that I can feel the heat radiating from his body, I look up at him in surprise as I've never felt that from a human. Thua'ste trills, eyes softening for a moment before he seems to snap out of it.

He walks out of the room with hurried steps, leaving me to catch up.

The hallways look just like the room I was in, clearly, the Predators don't enjoy decorations.  
Thua'ste walks so fast, and there are so many turns that I quickly lose sense of where we came from.

"Where are we going?" I ask but he doesn't respond.

Finally, he stops at a door and swiftly enters. I follow behind him, his hulking form not allowing me to see what's inside until he steps aside. I swallow harshly when he does, eyes immediately falling on the huge bed.  
My heat and anxiety both rise. My thoughts can't help but go _there._ I feel like a pervert but I know nothing of these creatures! What if they take females for this kind of stuff and-

My thoughts are cut short by Thua'ste’s booming voice. "Lee-y."

I anxiously look to the side, but luckily he is just pointing at something on the floor. I go to join Thua'ste where he's standing and my jaw almost drops. He has made a huge round mattress, which is laying on the ground next to his bed, covered in furs and one pillow. I feel happy that I won't have to sleep on the floor anymore, but I can't help but be reminded of a dog bed.

Thua'ste clicks loudly next to me and as I meet his eyes I realize he must be waiting on my reaction. I open my mouth but close it again. I want to joke so badly but the shred of survival instinct I have is saying **don't.**

"Wow, thank you so much." I settle on, simple and sweet. My answer seems to do as he nods his head humbly.

Thua'ste’s eyes stay on me as he presses on my shoulders, wanting me to sit down on my human dog bed. I do as he wants, but sitting on my knees in front of him like this makes me feel even more like a dog. Suppressing the urge to laugh, I look up at him as he gets something from a shelf.  
I barely have time to react as Thua'ste snaps the thick metal collar around my neck, the device beeping when it connects. Baffled, I stare up at him. Will he kill me if I laugh, because oh it's getting hard.

I bite my tongue and Thua'ste motions me to stay before walking to the other side of the room.

Not being able to help myself, under my breath I say one simple thing. "Woof."

Seemingly getting the reference, Thua'ste turns around swiftly, dreads swaying wildly as he faces me. I feel the color draining from my face as he approaches me angrily. _How should I have known he would understand that?!_

Thua'ste leans in close to my face before letting out a deafening roar, flared mandibles dangerously close to my skin. Clearly a prideful creature, he is absolutely furious with my mockery of his craft.

I'm about to open my mouth to apologize but Thua'ste grabs my arm before I can. I hiss at the bruising grip he keeps on it as he yanks me to my feet. Apologies and ramblings leave my lips as he mercilessly drags me out of the room and through the hallways. Thua'ste leads me into a room the size of a janitor's closet, the only thing in it a crude-looking shower. His massive claws grab onto my dress, tearing the fabric and lace to shreds within seconds. Tears fall from my eyes and I softly whimper.

Thua'ste's eyes stare into mine as he cuts my bra down the middle, a cut appearing from his nail just lightly gracing my flesh. The message behind the sudden change in treatment is clear. If I act like a dog, he would treat me like one. My body shakes furiously as my panties get the same treatment as the rest. I know Thua'ste is going to punish me, but I have no clue how.

He grabs me again and pushes me underneath the rusted looking showerhead, the force throwing me against the hard ground. Waiting till I look up, Thua'ste suddenly turns on the shower. I gasp harshly as cold water runs over my naked form. I try to scramble out of the icy water's reach, but he warns me not to with a snarl. My shaking gets worse thanks to this and I try to calm myself down.

Thua'ste tells me something, but I can't even comprehend the sound right now. When I do nothing he snaps his mandibles at me in a threatening way.  
I look up at him through teary eyes, sitting with my legs drawn up to my chest. He must want me to stand up, I assume. My legs almost buckle when I try to stand straight. The mix of adrenaline and the cold makes me feel like puking.

I can't help but notice the hungry look in Thua'ste's eyes as he looks at me. I wonder if for him it's more like looking at a juicy piece of meat instead of anything arousing.

As it seems that the rough treatment is over, I start calming down. I decide to try to wash the jungle grime off of my body and hair as well as I can, trying to make use of the cold water. My body still shakes slightly from the cold, but at least the fear of his wrath has ebbed away.  
I try not to think about Thua'ste's presence, but his soft clicking makes it near impossible. I'm ashamed to admit that an ache burns between my thighs. A being watched kink that was always fun with partners is now embarrassing me. All I can do is pray that he doesn't notice and try to shift my mind to things that turn me off. Which shouldn't be hard in this situation, _come on Lilly!_

Thua'ste switches the shower off again without comment.  
I meekly step out towards him, having nothing to cover me. My eyes don't dare to meet his, the floor suddenly being very interesting. We stand like that for a bit in complete silence outside of his clicking. I can feel my heart beating rapidly in my chest, for what must be 10+ reasons at this point.

I start to shake more again, the air not being kind to my cold, exposed skin. I'm shocked when Thua'ste pulls me flush against his body, mine instinctively leaning into his heat. There's no denying that it feels incredibly nice. One of Thua'ste's claws slowly traces over my back and he purrs lowly, his chest rumbling against mine.

"Pyode Ooman." He says. From his tone, I feel like he is saying something kind, though I wish I could be sure of it.

Suddenly, Thua'ste lifts me and throws me over his shoulder. I whine and feel the air being knocked out of me landing on his solid shoulder. I don't think he is being hostile like before. I do think that he has not much of a clue on how to be gentle.

After playing possum as Thua'ste carried me he drops me off back in his bed-chamber. He places, not throws (big improvement) me down on my bed, drawing the furs over me.

I'm confused as he grabs my chin, seemingly bothered by something. Thua'ste touches my lips lightly with his fingers before pulling away. He presses seemingly endless buttons on his gauntlet before aiming some sort of scan at me again. He snarls when whatever data he wanted appears on his screen. I frown at his reaction and attempt to sit up further, but he swiftly pushes me back down. He takes another fur off of his bed, placing it over me.  
Suddenly I realize what Thua'ste must have discovered. I lay down under the furs, putting myself in the fetal position to warm up as much as I can. I was so cold that my body must have gotten undercooled, and my lips showed a blue tint in response. I want to laugh at his response. For such an advanced race to not know undercooling, and see it as such a threat.

"Don't worry, it's a very early stage. I had it many times before." I tell him, remembering several pool outings that ended up with me in bed with a heating pad, a worried mom fussing over me.

Thua'ste snarls and turns his back on me, seemingly offended I would presume he worries. And maybe he doesn't. If today has proven anything it's that I clearly can't gauge what he is thinking.

As my body warms up I close my eyes and push away all thoughts. I have many things to worry about, but if allowed, they would have to wait till tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pyode = Soft  
> Ooman = Human


	6. Play your cards right

I'm allowed to walk freely now. Thua'ste made that much clear. No more cages, no more locks. I've been less than enthusiastic to test it out yet, seeing that I'm still butt naked.

After I don't move from the bed-chamber for hours after breakfast, Thua'ste comes to check up on me. His eyes look weary from across the room, probably confused by my inactivity. I peek at him from under my furs, brows furrowed. He doesn't walk around naked either now does he, so what is he expecting!

"I need clothes." I tell Thua'ste, but he seems to instantly reject the notion.

I sit up a bit to catch his eyes better. Wondering if I could play on his pity, I expose my chest slightly to show him the shallow cut on my breastbone.

"Please, it would make me feel better." I say with sad eyes.

Thua'ste shifts slightly, clearly I'm striking _something._ With what sounds like a gruff sigh, he leaves the room.

I'm assuming it's a win?

**\---------------------------------------------------------------------**

Thua'ste can't believe himself as he salvages the scraps of clothing from the shower.  
He normally only used this room to wash the blood off of his armors, but Lilly had pushed his buttons too far. She had to be punished, Thua'ste thought that still. He couldn't allow a puny human to mock his craft freely. However, he felt ashamed when he had witnessed her sobbing, shaking form. To bully such a weak creature was disgraceful.

Now, that same shame that Thua'ste felt had convinced him to make the human clothing. Such a small cut was nothing, yet her big, sad eyes had made him feel like a bad blood.

After picking up all the scraps of her dress, he holds them gently in his big claws. Thua'ste can't help but curiously smell at the fabric, and sure enough, her scent is all over it.  
Trilling softly, he remembers the moment her tiny body had pressed against his. Her smell had been overwhelming, the mud that slightly covered it now gone. Thua'ste had been surprised at her softness. Females of his kind had the same sturdy skin that kept them protected, but hers was defenseless as can be. Her skin was smooth, even the tiny brown spots all over it barely adding texture.

Pushing down the thoughts as well as the fabric from his nose, Thua'ste groans. He would get the human a translator device as soon as possible he decided, she shouldn't be the only one being heard. And he would make her clothes, he supposed.

**\---------------------------------------------------------------------**

Hours passed, and I'm fairly sure Thua'ste missed lunch. My stomach rumbles and I'm tempted to go look for him, but the thought of running around butt naked through this maze holds me back.

After another period of time passing, Thua'ste finally shows up.  
I feel disappointed when I see he's not bringing food, but he does seem to be holding something. He walks up to me until he is in front of me, squatting down so he can present me the object. I'm surprised to see it's fabric, and not only that, it seems taken from my dress! 

I gently take the package out of Thua'ste's hand. Noticing that it's two pieces, I carefully lay one down. I'm in awe as it seems that he made some sort of top and skirt. The original soft-colored roses on the fabric are crudely stitched together like a broken puzzle, but I'm still quite impressed.

"Thank you." I tell Thua'ste genuinely. I know he is the one who ripped it in the first place, but I have a feeling that this is a luxury that many of his kind would not grand me.

"Could I put it on... Somewhere else?" I ask him, a bit awkwardly. 

Thua'ste's mandibles open, and I think he is about to roar again, but instead he clicks them repeatedly. I think he's... Laughing?  
Still seemingly laughing, he goes around to the other side of his bed. I had wondered before about what the door on that side of the room was hiding, and I guess I'm about to find out.

I stand up, clinging a big fur against my body, my new clothing in hand. Thua'ste scans his hand casually, the door sliding open with a beep. A huge, bathroom looking, space reveals itself.  
This fucker. I knew he took me to that shabby shower on purpose! Thua'ste seems amused and I shoot him a look as I enter the bathroom. The door slides closed again behind me, granting me the privacy I wanted.

I look around the spacious bathroom. On the left side, there is a huge bathtub build against the wall, which seems more like a pool to me. On the other side, there is a shelf, toilet, and sink.

I go over to put the clothes on the shelf, not expecting the huge mirror on the wall that my back was previously turned to. My hand moves over my face. Ew. I look like a drowned rat.  
Attempting to untangle my hair, I brush the curly locks with my fingers. I hiss, the knots I'm pulling at making my scalp sting. It still looks horrible, but at least slightly better.

I prop the fur on the shelf as well as the skirt, putting the top on first. The material is luckily just stretchy enough to get over my head. As I look in the mirror I note it kinda looks like a mix between a bralette and a sports bra.  
The bottom is next, and I cringe at how short it is. I do admire Thua'ste's creativity at how he made it. It's a wide skirt, the top having to be tied together by a net-like robe.

Altogether it's definitely more exposing than I am used to. I feel awkward looking at myself in this outfit, and I wonder if this is what his kinds women wear.  
I decide not to give it another thought. I'm not naked anymore, my private parts are nicely covered, so I'm pleased.

I go back to the bedchamber, where Thua'ste surprisingly was still waiting. He looks me up and down before giving me an approving nod and I give him a slight smile in response.

Thua'ste made me follow him after that, through the maze to god knows where. And now I reached it I'm speechless.

I stare throughout the giant window, my eyes not believing what I'm seeing. I'm on a completely different planet. Strange purplish trees growing beyond the clearing, the ground a pale yellow.

"When did we leave earth?" I ask, turning to Thua'ste.

I already guessed he would take me back wherever he came from, but I never felt it take off. Plus the food he gave me was normal human fruit and fish.  
Thua'ste cocks his head at me, seemingly confused that I didn't realize earlier. I shake my head in disbelief.

"Is this your planet?" I ask, pointing at the outside.

Thua'ste shakes his head. "M-di."

I wonder why stopped he here then. Could he have been going outside while I was locked in?

Thua'ste takes place in front of the window, giant control panels and metal curving along the underside of it. The steel chair he sits down in seems to glide over the floor as he operates the system effortlessly. I watch him in awe. Who could've expected that an alien species that posses such brute force, also is smart?

Thua'ste conjures up a projection of a planet. It's clearly not earth, the continents completely different, and two suns circling it.

"Is that your planet?" I ask him, curiously stepping closer.

"Sei-I." He responds, keeping expressionless. Something about his reaction tells me he must miss it.

"Are you taking me there next?" I ask, deciding it be best not to pry.

Thua'ste shakes his head, typing something on the panels again. Another planet shows, seemingly way smaller, a ring surrounding it and three suns circling it. I have no clue about astrology, so I'm not sure if I should know what it is. Seemingly sensing my confusion, Thua'ste shows me footage of it. I chortle as I watch all kinds of alien creatures walk over a huge market place.

"An intergalaxy marketplace!" I say and Thua'ste clicks in amusement.

I go to stand next to him, holding onto the long back of the chair.  
Looking at the footage, I get an idea. Judging from the size of that market they must have some human stuff, and he's taken me there anyway.

"Can I go out when we reach it?" I ask Thua'ste, who instantly narrows his eyes.

"M-di."

I back off a little before pressing on. "Please? I just want to get some human things."

Thua'ste seems not convinced by that in the slightest. My heart rate peaks. He is not planning on keeping me inside this ship for the rest of my life right...?

Desperate and not being able to play off of pity to get myself a brush, I decide to carefully test another route.  
I gently approach Thua'ste again, who's chair is now turned completely towards me. I swallow as I take in his hulking form. Oh god, I hope this goes well.

"It would help me look better, for you." I say, attempting a sultry look.

I feel my cheeks flare up as Thua'ste straightens in his chair, doing the purring like sound again.

"And you have a tracker in my collar right? So you can find me anyway, I'm not that dumb to try anything." I tell him, hoping to convince him completely but also to distance myself from the sexual tension.

I wish I could kick myself in the knee. A brute alien's purring shouldn't get me to want to go along with me. The slight attraction I feel is just my primal brain. Sure he is big, broad, muscled... Where was I going with this?

Thua'ste seems to maul the request over for a minute, continuously eyeing me up and down.  
Finally, he nods in agreement and I give him a smile.

_Baby steps Lilly, baby steps._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> M-di = No
> 
> **I'm so excited for you guys to read the next chapter, there will finally be _real_ communication!**


	7. The market

Thua'ste has left me alone the whole trip to the market planet. He doesn't say much, just gives me food, and lets me run around as long as I don't touch anything.

I attempted to entertain myself by exploring the ship. The giant craft offers more than enough hallways and rooms to snoop around in, but unfortunately, they don't offer anything fun.  
Yesterday I did discover Thua'ste weapons room though. I was more than excited to start exploring, but I only got a brief peek at the shiny blades before he kicked me out of the room. He never seems to be around, but as soon as I do something he's right there!

I also found out Thua'ste froze quite a lot of human food for me which will probably last a few more weeks if I'm lucky. I didn't know how grateful I truly was to have it until I saw him drag in his food. All kinds of alien creatures and animals were dragged through the ship's door. As long as it was meat, Thua'ste ate it.  
Oh and he always kept the head after cleaning it. He kept them somewhere in a room which I was not allowed to enter. Not that I was jumping to see them.

I watch excitedly as we finally enter the planet's atmosphere, the ship barely giving a shake. I got to give it to Thua'ste, their technology is topnotch.

He lands the ship amongst many others, reminding me of a parking lot.

Before me and Thua'ste get off, he gives me a heavy belt with a pouch and a knife attached to it. He shows me that he put several square metal-like coins in the pouch.  
I was surprised when he had said no to my questions of me needing protective gear. Apparently, I would be fine here just like on earth, the only thing he gave me was heavy boots. In contrast, Thua'ste was quite dressed up. Heavy pieces of armor covered his shoulders, part of his chest and hips. Two long skull necklaces adorned his neck, as well as weapon straps on every limb. And of course, he can't miss his helmet.  
Seems like he is showing off a bit if you ask me, seeing that he clearly didn't feel any danger here.

Thua'ste hurries me off of the ship and I can't decide what to look at first. The aliens? The huge stalls? The three suns in the sky? The blue pebble ground? My brain can barely process it.

Giving me a clear warning snarl, Thua'ste waves me off as he goes his way on the market. I'm guessing he'll just track me down when he's done.

I'm unsure of what way to go first, but for now, I just decide to go the opposite of Thua'ste, turning left and sticking to the first row.  
The aliens barely spare me a look, which is relieving. They are completely focussed on selling their ware, shouting in foreign languages. The market stands hold all kinds of things. Armor, weapons, foods, clothes, alien animals. I'm pretty confident I can find anything here, but if I'll locate it is another story.

"Human! Human! Come here!" I hear a high pitched voice call out up ahead. 

Excited to hear my language, I quickly hurry forward.  
I'm surprised when I see the source of the voice. A tall, female alien sits behind her stand. Her skin is orange with yellow on her face and chest, her three breasts bare with the rest of her. A smile shows on her eyeless face. I know that I'm staring but I can't help it. Her hair seems to be made out of the same smooth skin of her body, crude edges at the ends of it. I wonder if she cut the flaps herself to make them look like a bob cut.

"You called me over?" I ask wearily and she eagerly nods.

"Correct! Nilni has all the merchandise that a human could want." She tells me, arms spreading above her table in a showing-off motion.

I had completely forgotten to even look at the stuff. My eyes scan the table and I quickly find what I want. A hairbrush and a jumbo pack of those dollar store razors.

Frowning, I look back at Nilni. "How did you get this stuff?"

She shakes her head, big smile not fading. "Business secret."

Even though I feel like I'm probably taking death human's property, I take a coin out of my pouch, holding it up to Nilni.

"How many of these for the hairbrush and razor pack?" I ask.

"Seven, just for you pretty human." She says smugly. Who knew aliens used compliments to sell as well.

I chuckle and give her the coins, Thua'ste gave me almost third that amount so it seems like a good deal.

Nilni presses the coins up to her noise after I hand them to her, sniffing them before putting them away somewhere.

"Nilni almost didn't smell you human, big guy's scent is all over you." She tells me as she puts my purchases in a netted bag.

"Guess I need a bath." I joke and Nilni lets out a chittering laugh in response.

"You got sharp tongue, Nilni likes it. Be careful not to lose it." She says as she hands me the bag. Halfway through the sentence her smile drops and her hand catches my wrist for a brief second. Her warning is sincere.

After the encounter, I feel quite distraught. Of course, I don't want to be here, but at least I feel relatively safe with Thua'ste. But this warning together with the killing of Lawrence and the shower incident rattle me.

I decide to trace my way back towards the ship, not in an adventurous mood.

As I walk around the giant craft, I spot something in the distance that I can barely believe. Three smaller crafts away I swear I see humans.  
Hurriedly I make my way towards them and their ship. Maybe they can take me away before Thua'ste even notices. Could I actually escape? I need to try right?!

The closer I get, the more hurried I become. The three figures standing outside the craft look more and more human as I approach!

"Hi! I'm so glad to see you guys. I don't have much-" I start as I approach a woman from behind. My sentence is cut off by her abrupt turn, her human face quickly twisting into a snake-like appearance.

I curse loudly, instantly backing off. She looks at me with rage as her head grows in size, unveiling her huge fangs. I feel stupid, but most of all I feel enraged. _I'm so sick of these fucking aliens._

The creature hisses loudly, but before it can snap its jaws at me a loud roar sounds.   
I hear loud footsteps before Thua'ste is suddenly standing an inch from her. It quickly rears back as Thua'ste lets out a deafening roar again. 

He grabs me after the creature is backed up, but it can't resist hissing at me again. I flinch as I feel saliva hitting my face. My temper snaps and I see red. All the anger of these days comes pouring out and I jump at the creature. I muster up all the saliva I can and spit in its face, making it stagger in surprise.

"Yeah not nice is it, fucker! Hiss at me again, I dare you!" I yell out, followed by a string of curses.

Thua'ste lifts me over his shoulder, snarling at me to shut up.

"Just kill me already, oh my god!" I say in frustration as I try to wiggle off, but his grip is too tight.

Thua'ste brings me onto the ship, quickly closing its door before letting me and my bag fall to the ground. I groan and stroke my ass, which feels bruised from hitting the metal flour.

Grabbing the top of my head roughly, I feel like Thua'ste is really about to finish me off. But the ripping doesn't come, instead, I feel something cold press behind my right ear before there's a piercing pain. I cry out, trying to push him away but he doesn't allow it.  
A few tears slip from my eyes, the pain luckily quickly subsiding.

Thua'ste backs away and my eyes widen at what I hear next. "What were you thinking?! Stupid human!"

I look up at him in shock. I just understood what he said.


	8. Far from home

"I-I can understand you." I announce, almost to myself as I touch the tiny bump behind my ear. Thua'ste rolls his eyes at my amazement.

"I wouldn't be too happy human, for your disobedience, I should have your skull." He tells me, deep voice sounding dangerously serious.

I look up at him awkwardly. I kinda forgot for a second that I tried to flee and spit on an alien.

"I'm sorry, okay? But who wouldn't have taken that chance? You don't want a braindead human, do you?" I ask him, deciding to just be honest.

Trying to escape was a dumb move, I'm aware of that. But come on! When I used to watch horror movies, I would yell at the people for not trying anything. I had taken a chance which was almost certainly doomed to fail, but at least I could always comfort myself with the thought that I did _something._

Thua'ste narrows his eyes at me."Your wittiness will not always save you, human."

There is no lie in that statement, I'm just worried I won't see that moment coming.

Turning his back to me, Thua'ste makes one more remark before leaving me in the entranceway. "Your spitting on the Strunkrel amused me, but let this be your last warning."

I was ignored for a few hours after that, Thua'ste keeping to the rooms I'm not allowed entrance to.

Twirling in his captain's chair, I look out the window at the buzzing market in the distance. I wonder if it even ever gets dark on this planet, the suns still shining as brightly as when we arrived.

Heavy footsteps alert me of Thua'ste's presence and I turn around the chair to face him. His eyes seem disapproving, but the silent treatment continues as he seems to only have come to take my boots from the floor.

"Can you run me a bath, please?" I ask Thua'ste before he gets the chance to leave.

"Yes." Is all he responds.

I sigh, muscles relaxing under the delicious heat of the water.

I didn't know how the control panel worked, but to Thua'ste it was done in a second. All I had to do was tell him when to stop the water and how hot I wanted it.

The water is clear but has a nice, soft, herby smell to it. It's more soothing to my body too, the cut on my breastbone seemingly getting a healing boost.  
I move down to dunk my head underwater, hands moving through my hair to clean it. Like this, it almost feels like I'm home, not somewhere in a strange galaxy.

When I'm satisfied with my overall cleanness, I make use of one of the razors from the pack. Shaving, I'm aware it's so trivial in this situation, but it makes me feel better. It makes me feel more human and less like a pet when I can maintain my old routine. Even if it's just a bit.

Even though I'm technically done, I don't want to get out. I'd like to pretend to be home just a bit longer.

Home. The word twists a knot in my stomach. I try to push the thoughts away quickly, but it's already too late. I picture my mom, her face red from crying as she screams my name. She must be losing it, thinking of all the worst things. Tears threaten to spill, and I try to hold them back. My eyes hurt at my straining and I lose the battle anyway.  
God, I hope that Connor at least had the decency to tell her I died or something and didn't just leave her without any answers. I wish I could contact her, comfort her. Tell her there's no need to worry, I'm alive.

I push myself underwater again, washing away the tears and hopefully with them my thoughts.

Managing to get myself under control, I stay in a bit longer to attempt to relax again before stepping out.

After getting out of the tub I take my time drying myself off. The scratchy fabric of the towel irritates my skin a bit, but I'm already more than happy to have it.

I comb my hair through, and afterwards, when I look in the mirror, I actually feel and look like myself again.

In the night, the thoughts come back to haunt me.

I miss my mom. I miss my brother. I miss my friends. **I miss my life.**

I know I should move on as quickly as I can, accept this is how it is now and spare myself the pain. But fuck is it hard.  
Sure, I pity myself, I have reason to. But above all, I wish I could spare my loved ones this pain. They don't deserve it.

I weep softly into my pillow, not wanting to wake up Thua'ste. One sob breaks out, louder than intended.

I hear Thua'ste shift before he speaks. "Lilly."

I keep my head pressed against the pillow, trying to quiet my sniffling. "I didn't mean to wake you up."

"My hearing is far better than a human's, I was awoken long ago." Thua'ste tells me and I feel heat rise to my cheeks in embarrassment. I can't believe he heard me crying this whole time.

"Come here." He tells me, moving over and opening up the furs on his bed.

I stand up, quite shocked as I lay down with him. Normally I might have protested, but right now I'm too drained.

Thua'ste purrs softly and it sounds comforting. I move to cling against his form, needing his reassurance like a child. Even if he is my captor, he is the only person I have now.  
One of Thua'ste's claws strokes through my hair as I rest my forehead between his collarbones. My tears spill onto him, but I can't stop myself.

"Quiet down, human. Your second warning won't be your last." Thua'ste tells me, fingers still running through my hair.

I laugh a little. He thinks that I'm crying because I'm scared of what he told me earlier today.

"It's not that... But thank you." I tell Thua'ste, and he doesn't press on.

He lets me cry as he keeps on stroking me reassuringly. It feels good to let it out without feeling alone.

Eventually, I quiet down and without even noticing I drift off to sleep, still clinging to Thua'ste.

**\---------------------------------------------------------------------**

Thua'ste had never had a female in his bed to just sleep, and it proved quite challenging to keep his hands off.

Lilly's tiny form laid snugly against him, her lips slightly parted as she peacefully slept. Her scent directly under his nose made it near impossible for him to go to sleep.  
Claws had wandered down her body several times, but every time he caught himself. Thua'ste shouldn't touch the human at all, he knew that. Yet his desire for her rose so greatly now he had her against him like this. These days there had already been many temptations, but this clouded his whole mind with lust.

However, as she shifted against Thua'ste, blissfully unaware of his carnal desire, he could not touch her. The human had already been distraught and he did not wish to add to it by waking her up with him on her like a wild animal.

Thua'ste would have to find another way to let out these desires.


	9. Intoxicated

Thua'ste was long gone when I woke up. As a matter of fact, he went out on the planet and after a whole day almost passing, he still isn't back yet.

I can get my food myself, so it's not a big issue, but it's definitely confusing. It feels like me and Thua'ste keep on dancing around each other, which is my fault as well. When I take a step forward, he takes a step backward and vice versa.  
Seeing that he is the one who took me I feel like he should at least make clear what he wants of me. Sometimes he seems to be invested in me, then at other times it seems like he is just keeping me around like a goldfish and then at other times it seems like he would prefer it if I just disappeared.   
Do I know which one I would prefer? Honestly, no, besides the goldfish one, I don't like that. My feelings are so scrambled that it's hard to make any sense of them.

Would I prefer to pursue some kind of sexual and/or romantic relationship with Thua'ste? Would that make this all feel more meaningful? I don't even know if he would want that! Sometimes it certainly seems like it, but at the same time, he isn't fond of humans in the slightest.  
I'm conflicted beyond rhyme or reason and Thua'ste's absence does not help. We can talk now for god's sake, so let's do that!

A little after I finish my dinner, I hear the ship's door open before stumbling throughout the entranceway.

I'm sitting on the captain's chair again, a fur draped around my shoulders for warmth and my legs crossed. I almost feel like a mom waiting up for her rebellious kid to come home.

Thua'ste takes his helmet off when he enters the room, scaring me when he throws it to the ground. He seems a bit dazed, claw grabbing at his head in frustration.

"Are you okay?" I ask but he only snarls at me.

Slowly stepping forward, I could swear Thua'ste's coordination is off. I stand up when I notice it again as he grabs at his armor to take it off, leaving the fur in the chair. Hesitating for a second, I extend my hand to hold onto his arm.

"Sit down, please?" I ask, looking up at Thua'ste. It feels weird to help a creature that is at least 7 feet tall keep stable.

"Fine." He answers, clearly displeased but letting me lead him to the massive chair anyway.

I feel like I'll get thrown to the floor as I sit Thua'ste down, just barely being able to keep my balance thanks to him carrying most of his weight. A relieved sigh leaves my mouth when he sits in the chair, but he looks at me as grumpy as ever.

"Your welcome." I tell him, rolling my eyes at his sour attitude.

"Stop your theatrics, human. Be smart and leave while I'm less capable of chasing you." Thua'ste tells me and I can tell that he really thinks that.

I chuckle. "Oh yeah, and get as far as I did last time? I think I'll pass. Plus, you probably could still take me down in the blink of an eye, even in this state."

Thua'ste doesn't deny it. He is intoxicated, but I have no illusion that his strength is still great.

I sit down on the ground, a bit further from away from the chair. Thua'ste stares at me constantly and I'm pretty sure he is trying to scare me away.

"My body is not weak like yours, your watching is a waste of time." He tells me eventually.

I stretch on the cold floor, ignoring the stiffness of my ass. "It probably is, but you comforted me so now I'm attempting to do the same for you."

"I also took you from your kind." Thua'ste says, mockingly.

I shrug. "Well, my kind also put me in that jungle, to begin with."

"You were no challenge compared to the other humans there." Thua'ste says and I kinda have to laugh.

"Duh! I was thrown there to die, just for fun!" I shoot back.

Thua'ste goes silent for a second, his eyes burning into mine. I'm upset. Admitting that someone just threw me in there for their own fun, someone that I never did anything cruel to, hits hard. I guess saying it out loud makes it more real.

"That's why you were dressed like _that._ " Thua'ste says before leaning against the back of the chair casually. Wow, what a mean, drunk, alien.

I huff, a bit offended. "I didn't hear you complain about that when you took me." I quip back. Thua'ste seems to chuckle at this.

Maybe it's because it's kinda funny that he's drunk, but I feel comfortable. I don't feel like I have to constantly watch my tongue as Thua'ste seems to have loosened up to some backtalk.

"What did you drink?" I ask Thua'ste curiously.

He groans, shaking his head. "A fool's drink. Something warriors of my age should be passed."

I scoot forward, seems like he's open to sharing and I'll gladly pry. "How old are you anyway?"

"7347."

My jaw almost drops. "In years?!" Thua'ste nods his head like it's normal, well, I guess it is for him.

"I'm 20." I tell him and he doesn't seem surprised.

"Humans lives are short." He only remarks.

I nod my head in agreement. How unfair it seems that his kind lives for centuries. Wait, his kind.

"What are you? What is your species called?" I ask Thua'ste.

He looks a bit tired at my questions already, but he allows it anyway. "I'm a Yautja. We are a race far older than yours, human."

I wave off his giant ego. "Thank you for telling me, but why do you call me human so often? You know my name."

Thua'ste narrows his eyes and crosses his arms. I can't help but notice how his muscles bulge as he does it. "I have not heard you speak my name at all. Thua'ste."

I laugh nervously, he got me there. Now he showed me again how to pronounce it I need to try.

"...Thoust?" I attempt but it sounds horrible.

Thua'ste ignores me, leaning his head back. I think he's getting sleepy.

"Why did you go drink if it's not something you usually do?" I can't help but attempt one last question.

Thua'ste stands up, stable again. "I usually don't have a fertile, human female prancing around my ship." He grunts out as he leaves to go to bed.

I stay on the floor, frozen. _Oh wow._

Thua'ste snored that night, and I could barely sleep. Not that I didn't have things to maul over.  
How he had admitted his sexual attraction was quite, different. But I know from experience that I shouldn't take a drunk man's words too seriously.

Sure enough, in the morning Thua'ste was clearly displeased with his behavior from last night.  
He walked around the ship cursing as he dressed himself back up in his armor, snarling when he found his mask on the floor as well. I wonder if he even remembered what he said last night.

Carefully following Thua'ste around, I finally catch his attention. His eyes burn into mine before they glide over my face, the look in them telling me all I need to know. He remembers.

"Don't have any delusions, human. Even if my body falsely registers you as a potential mate, I would never disgrace myself that way.  
My bloodline and offspring are, and will stay, strong." Thua'ste tells me before turning away.

I'm speechless. He is the only one who said such things, yet I am the one getting brutally rejected?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank you all so much for the supportive and sweet comments! I check them multiple times a day and I get so excited every time I see there's a new one.
> 
> The coming chapters will be longer than the previous ones have been.  
> I would love to hear your opinions on if you prefer longer chapters that might take a bit longer or the short ones like this.  
> For reference, this chapter is 8 pages in my document, the upcoming ones are around 12 pages.


	10. Pride

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **WARNING**  
>  This chapter contains slight sexual content.

Once again, Thua'ste fucking left me!

After what he told me I seriously can't believe how huge his ego is. Even in that giant body, I'm sure that it barely fits.  
Anyone would be lucky to fuck _me._ God, why do I even care?!

This is exactly what I meant yesterday. Thua'ste yanks me around like a puppet on a string, from one feeling to the next.  
I wish I could leave the ship and breath in some fresh air. These metals walls don't help the feeling of being trapped.

Alex would know what to do, he always did. My brother had always been the one who just did whatever he wanted, unlike me who has to overthink everything.  
I can almost hear his voice. "Don't wait on someone else to live life for you, Lilly." The countless times I had to hear that.

The thought of him makes me smile. It comforts me to know that Alex's light will guide mom no matter how hard things get, but I wish he could do the same for me.

I've decided that I'll ask Thua'ste access to the outside when he's back. The market should bring plenty of distractions for now.

I'm already laying under my furs when Thua'ste finally comes home.

I sit up slightly and as I do I swear I can hear another voice with him. Not sure what to do, I stay seated and wait to see if he comes over.

After a few minutes, the voices make their way closer to the room, and I almost jump up when they enter with a crash. In shock, I watch Thua'ste and a woman seemingly wrestle with each other as they come closer. Without even looking at me, he urges the women to the bed and it's clear it's one of his own kind.   
The female Predator makes eye contact with me, almost like she notices me for the first time. She flares her mandibles threateningly and kicks my side, making me yelp out. Even though she seemingly used very little of her strength, I'm sure it will bruise. As I hold my side in pain, Thua'ste grabs onto the woman and throws her harshly onto the bed.

I look at the scene through teary eyes, thinking that they will fight each other to death. Imagine my shock when instead Thua'ste rips off their clothing pieces before pushing her down in a lewd position. I'm frozen, not believing my own eyes. Things get too real too fast when he reveals his cock, almost making me choke in my own spit.  
I run out of the room when Thua'ste penetrates the female, both roaring. Following the hallways until I can't hear their sounds anymore, my heart hammers against my chest.

After the shock starts to fade, I feel angry.  
Sitting against a random wall, I run a hand through my hair as I think. Did he do this to drive home his point of me being below him as a mate? Because that was **not necessary.**

Feeling insanely disrespected, I don't go back to the bedroom, choosing to rather sleep in the cold hallway.

A hard grip on my shoulder wakes me up and I groan at the stiffness of my body. I rub my eyes before looking at who woke me up. Not that there are many options.

Thua'ste stands before me, still completely naked outside of his loincloth. He looks down at me, completely unashamed.

"Could you please warn me next time so I can take my bed to a different room? Thank you." I tell him, not covering my irritation at all.

Confusion shows on Thua'ste's face. "Why?"

It's finally my turn to look at him like he's dumb. "Because I don't want to get kicked nor watch you have sex!"

"To Yautja it does not matter who sees them mate." He tells me.

I huff. "Well, as you love to point out, I'm a human."

Thua'ste seems irritated at my continuing attitude.

"Then let me point out you are on my ship, under my command, _human._ " He spits out the last word on purpose.

I stand up and get close to his face.

"Yes, sir." I remark before walking past him to get myself breakfast.

**\---------------------------------------------------------------------**

Thua'ste felt his blood boil. All of this was only to distract him from ravaging the human, yet she was mad at him!

Lilly had willingly tempted him before, but Thua'ste was aware that it had only been to benefit her. Her unwillingness, together with his duty to his people made it clear to him that mating with her was not an option.  
If he could fulfill his desires by breeding a Yautja female, it seemed like a win-win to him. He would get more strong offspring, and the human would be left alone.

Yet there Lilly had been, irritated and giving the cold shoulder.  
Thua'ste hadn't taken her as a prideful creature, but now that he had hurt it he was proven the opposite.

It was clear that she would not stand for this. But neither would he. He would not differ from his Yautja culture, she would just have to suck it up.

**\---------------------------------------------------------------------**

After that night, the building connection between me and Thua'ste screeched to a halt.

He brought another woman home the night after, and I had fled again. Seemingly not giving a fuck, he did it last night as well. That made it three nights in a row!

I was honestly sick of it and decided to try a different tactic. I had forced myself to stay and just stare at him. But as he said, he didn't care at all.  
He only seemed to be spurred on by my presence, while watching him wrestle another woman into submission before fucking her was humiliating to me.

I could not take it anymore, so now, before Thua'ste had the chance to go out, I cornered him. 

He snarls and tries to push me away but I grab onto him. "I want to go outside too. Now."

Taken aback by me giving him a command, he lowers his claw that was holding his helmet. Thua'ste steps closer. He presses his face close to mine, mandibles spread. I know he's testing me so I do not flinch, I'm not scared.

After a moment he backs off and puts on his helmet. "Fine, but this time I won't safe you."

I scoff. Whatever, I'm not aiming at beefing with aliens today. I got other plans.

I'm not only planning on taking a little stroll today. No, no, I'm on a mission.  
If there is one thing I've always excelled at, it's being petty, and Thua'ste was about to find out.

As soon as I stopped at her stand, Nilni was more than happy to supply the information I needed. She had told me where I could find the bar that he was probably at, many young Yautja stopping there during their travels. And, I had managed to convince her to come join me on my little trip to it.

The plan is simple.  
Thua'ste is a prideful and possessive man, so If I show attraction to someone else he'll most definitely get mad. That way I can easily make my point that if he is offended by that, he can imagine how I feel. Hopefully, that will put an end to his nightly rendezvous.

The building is HUGE, nothing like you would expect of a bar on earth.

Nilni chitters excitedly next to me, standing up she's only two heads taller than me. She had thrown on a long, poncho-like thing, saying that it was too chilly for her inside otherwise.

Just like outside on the market, inside the bar you find a colorful collection of creatures. The bar itself runs from the front to the back at the left side, the two aliens that men it struggling to keep up with the people ordering food and drinks, their six arms moving none stop. The middle and right of the building is occupied with tables. Some are long, some small and round, seemingly also having some variations in height for the different species.

Nilni links her arm around mine. "Stay close. Many here would like a bite."

"As long as Thua'ste is watching." I joke and she instantly laughs.

Oh, how I wish Nilni had kidnapped me. She only hypes me up and her body is great, I wouldn't even be mad.

Dragging me through the bar, Nilni guards me against the other aliens. They seem to be at least mildly intimidated by her. I wonder how strong she really is.

I do my best not to ogle at the aliens too much, they could easily find it just as rude as humans do. But it's hard when you see them casually sitting there, some mouse-sized and some elephant-sized, all of them seemingly coexisting.  
Would humans be capable of doing that? In history, we have not been kind to anyone we deemed 'different'. Maybe that's why most of them hate us.

"Nilni always sees the Yautjas at the back, they don't like other species." Nilni tells me and I'm not surprised.

Seems like your kind is not so different from mine after all, Thua'ste

"Other aliens who like humans too are close to where they sit." Nilni says excitedly.

I wonder why she is so fascinated by humans. Other creatures here seem many times more interesting.

She leads me to a long table where at least 20 aliens are chatting before waving at them.

"Nilni brought the human!" She announces proudly.

I'm pretty sure they all greet me in different languages, but the translator makes it effortless to understand.

My eyes quickly wander from the aliens at the table to where a dozen of Yautjas are hanging around. I spot Thua'ste and we lock eyes instantly.  
The line has been cast, now we wait for the fish to bite.

I sit down next to Nilni, who has already claimed her spot at the table, of course right in the middle. The aliens instantly start shooting questions at me, seemingly highly entertained by anything I say.

"What is your planet like?"  
"Do you have bones?"  
"Is your hair alive?"  
"What colors do you see in?"

My head soon starts to spin, their questions and loud chattering overwhelming me. I look to the side at Nilni and she gives me a nod. No clue how she sees, but I'm grateful she does. She urges the others to take it slow and not talk all at once and they luckily oblige.

I can feel Thua'ste's eyes burning into my back as the aliens shower me with attention, just as I expected.

"Have you been with an alien?" One of the males asks boldly.

I give him a teasing smile as I take him in. He is about as tall as Thua'ste, pale grey skin spurring spikes here and there along his arms. He has no hair but his face looks very humanoid, the light purple eyes and tusks the only foreign features on it.

"Not yet." I shoot back and Nilni Oohs in support.

From the look on his face, the message has come across loud and clear.

Just as Nilni predicted, Odhar is more than interested to try out a human. From all the aliens in the group, she had assumed he would be the first one to make a move.

I'm not planning on taking him to bed, but he doesn't need to know that yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be 👀


	11. Desire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **WARNING**  
>  Explicit sexual content

I've been in the bar for hours now and I can just feel Thua'ste’s anger radiating from the corner. The fish has taken the bait, time to reel it in.

"I should head out. Could you walk me back, Odhar?" I ask and he of course gallantly agrees. It's clear from his face what he's expecting.

Are men from every species just this easy?

I don't see Thua'ste following me and Odhar, but I know he is close. Him playing ninja around me on the ship has made me more observant.

When we are close to the ship with slightly more privacy, Odhar makes his move. I allow him to draw me closer, one arm wrapped around me. I playfully giggle as he takes a lock of my hair into his hand, seemingly enjoying how it feels.

Movement in the corner of my eye catches my attention. So close.

I'm caught off guard as Odhar's lips move against my neck. He takes in my scent before pressing kisses along it, his tusks lightly scraping against the skin. I bite my lip. _Come on, Thua'ste!_

Odhar doesn't get the chance to say or do anything else as he's abruptly pulled off of me and thrown a good distance.  
Thua'ste stands with his back facing me, blocking me off from where the alien landed on the ground. His chest heaves heavily and he lets out an earth-shattering roar. Judging from the fast footsteps it seems that Odhar wisely chose to run.

With furious eyes, Thua'ste faces me and quickly drags me onto the ship by my arm.

As soon as the door closes behind us his anger spills out and he rips off his helmet. "How dare you?!"

"How dare I what? Wasn't this kind of thing normal?" I cross my arms, standing strong.

Thua'ste snap at me with his mandibles in response.

"Does my anger amuse you?!" He questions and I shake my head, returning his angry look.

"It does not, though I do not understand it. You fuck others in front of me yet you do not allow this." I say.

Thua'ste narrows his eyes, seemingly realizing my intentions.

"You did this to purposely provoke me." He says and pushes me against the wall, caging me between his arms.

"You provoked me first!" I shoot back but realize I sound like a kid.

Snarling in my face, Thua'ste steps so close now that his chest is almost pressed up against mine. The heat that always radiates off of him seems even greater now.

"You ungrateful human! I could've had you on your back a long time ago, yet I chose to spare you distress and focus on my own kind!" He tells me angrily.

I feel a blush creep onto my face. _Shit_ , how do I respond to this.

Thua'ste backs up in response to my silence. I want to reach out to him, tell him to take me, to make me feel wanted, but I'm scared.

"Humans have the same needs, you know." I tell him.

He clicks impatiently at me before turn his back.

Fuck, I feel Thua'ste slipping from my fingers more and more and I can't afford it. Clearly, my life is here now, and without him I'll be isolated. The attraction is there, and he has shown that he cares about me to at least an extend. I **need** his attention.

"Take me!" I yell out before I can change my mind.

Thua'ste turns around slowly and the look in his eyes makes my cheeks flare up hotter.  
 _Be direct Lilly, be bold._ I swallow my fear.

"You need this, and so do I. Take me." I reaffirm.

Thua'ste trills and moves in on me again, my back pressing harder against the wall at his closeness.

"Do you understand what your words entail?" He asks me, speaking softer than he usually does.

I wet my lips as I take a hold of one of his claws, bringing it up to cup my breast. "I do."

Softly squeezing my soft flesh, Thua'ste's eyes wander from my face down to my body and back up again.

"My kind does not do things this way." He tells me but doesn't take his hand off of me, the other even moving to grab onto my hip.

"Your kind seems uptight." I tell him teasingly and grab onto his shoulders to draw him closer to me.

Thua'ste moves his claws away quickly before picking me up, his nails harshly digging into the underside of my thighs. I mewl when I feel his crotch rub against mine, linking my legs around him as he holds me up against the wall.

His eyes lock onto mine again. "Don't be scared."

Wondering what Thua'ste means, I shake my head with a smile. "I'm not."

His face comes even closer to mine, and I breathe in sharply as he spreads his mandibles before closing the distance. I freeze at first, the points of his mandibles lightly scraping against my skin as they rest on my cheeks. It doesn't take me long to realize what he's aiming at as I feel his inner mouth pressing against mine.

Thua'ste kisses me impatiently, his tongue wasting no time in pushing past my lips. I press mine against his, but he completely dominates my mouth. His tongue is long, tangling with mine wildly. The heat of it is surprising, but not unpleasant at all.  
I moan into the kiss when Thua'ste grinds his crotch into mine, my hips instantaneously answering the motion. Seemingly enjoying the feeling, his mandibles twitch against my skin. The heat and wetness between my legs grow with every grind and press of his tongue.

I know I should feel like this is wrong, but I don't. This feels like exactly what I want.

Gently pushing Thua'ste back by his shoulders, I take in a deep breath. Making out with him was great, but quite literally breathtaking.   
Purring, he seems satisfied when I smile at him.

"I thought that would go well." He tells me.

I teasingly raise an eyebrow at him. "Thought?"

If this was his first time kissing like this, he didn't let it show.

Thua'ste reaches one hand between our bodies and hastily seeks out my heat. His fingers trace from my mount down to my slit before eagerly dipping between my folds. I eagerly buck into his touch, the rough skin of his fingers feeling amazing as they gather my wetness on them. My lips are slightly parted as I keep my eyes on his face, breath hitching when he brushes past my clit.

"Do I make you ache this badly, _human?_ " Thua'ste purrs.

I normally hate it when he doesn't call me by my name, but something about how he says it now sends a shiver over my body.

"You do, _Thua'ste._ " I tell him, not being able to help my proud smile as I pronounce it just perfectly.

Thua'ste groans, his fingers continuously sliding up and down between my folds. The pad of one of his calloused fingers moves past my entrance, drawing an unexpected moan from me. His eyes darken after hearing me moan out.  
I whine when he draws his fingers away from my heat, which is throbbing for more after the teasing touches.

Pulling me away from the wall, Thua'ste makes me hold onto him tightly as he carries me. I don't need to turn my head to know where we are headed, my heart fluttering. His chest heaves heavy and rapidly against mine, showing how riled up he is.

Thua'ste throws me down on the bed as soon as we enter his room.

I can't keep my eyes off of him as he stands at the foot of the bed, my back rested against the soft furs. He looks so imposing, chest and arm muscles flexed as he attempts to hold himself back, fire burning behind his eyes.

I can see that he is struggling with some part of himself, and I'm fairly sure it's his Yautja pride.  
He does take off the armor plate covering his loincloth, seemingly not able to take the strain anymore. Licking my lips, I stare shamelessly at the massive outline of his member, the cloth struggling to keep it covered.

Teasingly, I spread my legs, running my hand down my body slowly. Thua'ste's eyes follow it eagerly, watching as I give my breasts a squeeze before continuing over my stomach, sliding over the soft skin until I reach my mound. My fingers dip between my folds, my breathing heavy as I slide through it before parting my lips, spreading it open for him to see.  
My administrations drive Thua'ste over the edge, the rest off his armor and clothing being removed within seconds.

He gets on top of me, tearing my hand away from myself as he does so. His long tongue darts out and eagerly licks at the juices on my fingers. My cunt clenches around nothing, lust overwhelming me as Thua'ste cleans off my fingers, his eyes fixated on mine.

He releases my hand, head moving down towards my breasts. I moan and eagerly stroke at his dreads as his tongue teases my hard nipples. It feels torturous as he keeps on going, circling them so perfectly.  
Fuck, I want him inside me so badly.

"I was wrong, you are poisonous." Thua'ste says, sitting up between my spread legs.

I giggle breathlessly. I'm not sure what he means with that, but I don't need to when his cock is so close to me. It's bigger than I've had before, without a doubt. The color of the shaft is a slightly darker shade of green than his skin, the head a soft brownish shade. The underside has small, fleshly ridges along it, the thickness of his shaft increasing further at his base.  
God, I'm scared but also incredibly curious about what it can do. I can handle it, I think.

"Get on all fours." Thua'ste commands, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I do so quickly, legs shaking slightly from nerves and excitement.

An erotic snarl sounds behind me and I bite my lip as I feel the head of his cock pressing between my slick folds. He stays still against my entrance, claws cupping my ass so I can't move down on him.

"Tell me that you want this." Thua'ste tells me and I happily oblige.

"I want this. Please fuck me, Thua'ste." I say breathlessly.

The tip of his cock slides passed my entrance and I fist the furs in response. He's already so thick.

Thua'ste holds onto my hips as he pushes himself further into my channel. I grind my teeth at every new inches that he stuffs me with.  
Tears sting at the corner of my eyes and I look back at him when he stills.

"Is it fully in?" I squeak out when he moves slightly.

Something in his facial expression changes, another tad darker than it was previously. Snapping his hips forward, I cry out loudly. Pain and pleasure rip through my body.

"Keep on looking at me and it soon will be." Thua'ste says, voice filled with lust.

I whimper, my right cheek pressing down into the furs as he pushes himself into me with great force.  
More tears roll down my cheeks as he gives a painfully sharp thrust, his pelvis finally hitting my ass.

Thua'ste roars, but it sounds different than the times he was with the female Yautjas. He pulls out of me almost completely, ridges dragging along my sensitive channel before slamming back in. The force of his thrust almost knocks the air out of me.  
Something seems to have snapped in him. His grip on my hips is bruising as he starts to wildly thrust into me.

"S-Slow down!" I choke out, the feeling of fullness being painfully overwhelming.

Thua'ste doesn't listen, his legs urging mine further apart. I feel like I'm going to pass out from he hard he is hitting deep inside me.

"You are mine to fill now." He says with a commanding voice, thrusts not slowing down.

I do my best to relax my muscles, not focussing on the stinging stretch but only on the pleasure.  
After a good minute, the stinging becomes no more than a background thought. The way Thua'ste’s cock drags along my walls, his sharp thrusts and fast pace overwhelming me with pleasure. I moan out under him and he loudly trills at the change in my sounds. My hands still tightly hold onto the furs, my body being pushed harshly into them at every movement.

"Fuck!" I cry out.

Nobody has ever filled me so completely, so deeply. I feel like I'm getting more and more addicted with every snap of his hips.

"Your tightness is incredible." Thua'ste says, clear strain sounding in his voice.

I wonder if this is him actually still holding back.  
Always talking so composed, even now. I want to make him curse and cry out for me as well.

I brace my forearms against the bed, attempting to meet Thua'ste's thrusts where his iron grip allows it.

"Lilly!" I hear him say through gritted teeth.

I feel his thick length twitch inside me. One of his claws moves to push on my back, forcing me to arch it further. I feel like I see stars from the slight change in the way his cock hits inside me.

I can feel the familiar, addicting, tension building up in my abdomen. I'm so close.

Thua'ste pounds into me like a wild animal. His pelvis hits my ass hard over and over again as he bottoms out, and I'm sure it's reddening.

I cry out as I feel my orgasm wash over me, my muscles spasming around Thua'ste's cock. My legs buckle but he effortlessly holds me up, continuing to fuck my tight heat.

"Fuck!" He curses out and it sounds like music to my ears.

My cunt continuous to clench him tightly, eager for him to fill me.   
Thua'ste is not going to pull out, I can feel it from his desperate grip on me. My mind, only filled with this primal lust doesn't want him to either.

His thrusts start to turn more erratic, his groans increasing in volume. Cursing incoherently, Thua'ste pushes himself inside me as deep as he can, ripping a scream from my throat.  
I can feel hot spurts of cum filling my insides as his cock twitches insides me. He roars, the hard press of his pelvis against my ass painful. My forehead rests against the furs, breathing heavily as he continuous to stuff me with his seed till he's completely done.

The twitching of Thua'ste's cock seizes as he's done spilling himself into me. He keeps himself inside of me, purring lowly.  
I look back at him, face red from the intense fucking. My eyes lock onto his and my bliss increases at what I find. Adoration radiates from them and I realize that at this moment I'm it for him.

Thua'ste starts to pull out slowly, cum instantly starting to flow out of me. I mewl at the feeling of his cock sliding out, the empty feeling afterwards leaving me disappointed.  
His thick cum streams down my thighs and onto the bed. The load was clearly just as huge as it felt.

"You did great." Thua'ste tells me, claws gently stroking over my hips.

I smile at his praise and turn around to lay on my back before my legs give out again, scooting upwards to rest my head on a pillow.

"It felt amazing." I admit to him.

He trills, pleased. Laying down next to me, he urges me to lay on my side so he can draw me against him. I'm surprised to feel that his cock has retracted, a bulging sheath pressing against my ass.

"You seem impressed. Are human males lacking at sex?" Thua'ste asks, making me laugh.

His body feels so warm but not sweaty at all. This must not physically exert him in the slightest.

"Sometimes. With you, it was just very different... In a good way!" I tell him and his chest rumbles against mine.

One of his claws strokes over my body, seemingly wanting to explore every part of my skin. It stills when it reaches my abdomen, and I feel his muscles tense in response.

"This should not happen again. You cannot become with child." Thua'ste tells me, but he doesn't sound as steadfast and usual.

I move my hand over his claw, holding onto him.

"Is it disgraceful to you?" I ask.

"Yes. We take great pride in having a strong and long bloodline." He responds.

"You took me because you were attracted to me, didn't you?" I ask, confused about why he did that in the first place then.

Thua'ste stays silent for a bit before sighing.

"I did. I did not think of the consequences." He confesses.

I'm not sure about what to say. It's clear that this ideology has been ingrained in him since childhood.  
I don't want to become pregnant either, I barely know him. But, as irresponsible and stupid as it sounds, I want to do this again.

Thua'ste moves his claw away from under my hand, resting his arm around my waist. "Sleep for now."

His free hand softly strokes my hair.  
I allow him to lull me to sleep against him. We can leave this for tomorrow, tonight we are connected.


	12. Mind vs Body

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **WARNING**  
>  Explicit sexual content

Thua'ste awoke next to Lilly that morning, feeling more rested than he had been this last week. 

She was still sleeping, but even like this, she was beautiful to him. The way her long lashes rested on her skin, how her hair fell around her in waves, he could now understand why the men's hearts had quickened. 

Giving in to touching her had been the beginning of the end for Thua'ste. He doubted that he could ever forget her smell nor taste for the rest of his long life. 

The way Lilly's body fits into his so perfectly seems like a cruel joke. Their fall had been written in the stars, yet he did not feel like stopping it.

If other Yautja found out, he could be banished. She and their possible children could be hunted down and killed.  
Thua'ste had heard stories of Yautjas taking other species as their mates, but they were far and few between. He was aware that his clan had taken in a human as an honorary Yautja before, but that was long before he had been born and she had been a legendary warrior.  
His clan was too big to keep up with all his brothers and sisters, it could be that one had previously been excused for their relationship. He would find this out as quickly and carefully as he could.

Lilly stirs against Thua'ste, letting out a breathy sigh in her sleep. Perhaps when she woke up she would be horrified at what had happened between them. 

His eyes glide over her body, landing on the ugly, pear-sized bruise on her ribs. Yautja mating often was a violent occurrence, but it usually stayed between the two engaging in it. 

Thua’ste had been surprised when he saw that the female had left a mark on Lilly the day after their mating, but it was too late by then. He could not cut off one of her dreads in vengeance, seeing that she already had left the planet.  
He warned his next two partners that his human was not to be touched, making sure to avoid such a thing happening again.

Thua’ste had expected Lilly to berate him for her injury, but she had been surprisingly quiet about it. It seemed like she lingered longer on the emotional distress than on the physical one. Or maybe she was saving the event as ammunition for future conflicts.

Reaching out, Thua'ste carefully brushes her cheek with the back of his knuckles. Lilly groans softly as she starts to wake up, turning around to face him.  
Thua'ste feels her poison seeping further into him as she looks at him with those gleaming, green eyes. 

"Good morning." She tells him, smiling. 

Stretching her body slightly, she waits for his answer. Disappointment flashes over her face when he doesn't say anything. 

"Uhm... Your bed is very comfortable." She tells him.

Thua'ste gathers himself, giving Lilly's hair an affectionate stroke. He did not want her to feel sad.

"Let's take a bath." He tells her and she eagerly agrees. 

It gives him great satisfaction when she seems comfortable

Thua'ste sits down in the hot water with his legs spread, saving space for Lilly. She goes to sit between them with little hesitations.  
She had not said it, but Thua'ste could tell from her facial expressions that she was hurting. 

"This feels so nice." She says, sounding relieved as she leans back against his chest. 

Thua'ste sighs in agreement, he did not have sore muscles like her, but the water did ease his mind. 

"Can I ask you something Thua'ste?" Lilly asks as she pours water over herself with her small hands. 

He cups water into his hands before throwing it over her, which is far more effective. "Yes. What is it?" 

She slicks her now wet hair back before turning her head to look at Thua'ste. "You keep on mentioning offspring... Do you have any?" 

He has to laugh at her question. Of course he does. How could a Yautja of his standing not have any?  
Lilly's cheeks turn a slight red at his reaction. 

"I do, I have 54 sons and 11 daughters." He tells her, amused at her human response. 

She looks at him in shock, seemingly not knowing what to say. 

"It's normal for Yautjas to have many children. I know of legendary warriors which have hundreds of offspring." He explains. 

"Why so many? Will your species go extinct otherwise?" She asks, still baffled. 

Thau'ste nods his head. "We would. We lose many of our younglings during their chivas."

She opens her mouth but he answers her question before she can ask it. "Chivas are our coming of age hunting trials."

Lilly does not understand why the trials are so important to the point you would lose your child, and he can sense it. 

"We do not have the same bonds with our children that humans have. To us, they must prove that they are worthy warriors and if they die attempting to do that it's honorable." He tells her, though he knows that she as a human would not understand. 

She chews her lip. "Alright. Thank you for explaining." She tells him before seemingly shrugging the topic off. 

After they have soaked in peace for some time, Lilly turns around completely, straddling Thua'ste's lap. One of her hands reaches out to touch his dreads, being careful not to hurt him. He trills in response, her light strokes and squeezes feeling nice.

"Your biology is so interesting." She tells him and he grunts in response. "The beads are pretty." Lilly continuous. 

Thua'ste eyes her face curiously. She is such an odd creature to him. It's like she forgets the past when he treats her nicely. Yautja females would never be that forgiving.

"I noticed yours were longer than the other Predator's." She continues, hands still curiously fondling his appendages. 

His eyes meet hers and she gives him a bashful smile. 

"The longer our dreads are, the more attractive our mates view us." Thua'ste tells her, enjoying how her body slightly shifts on him in response. 

Lilly's eyes show the spark that he had discovered yesterday. It was like something flipped in her brain when she felt aroused, even her eyes reflecting the change. 

"You keep on touching them, so they seem to be fulfilling their purpose." Thua'ste says teasingly.

The familiar, red flush returns to Lilly's cheeks. It's amusing to him how little humans can hide their emotions.

His claw moves to pull her closer by the back of her head, not able to resist the temptation of tasting her. Her tiny hands grab onto his shoulders in response, squeezing them slightly as he spreads his mandibles to kiss her.  
Kissing was not something Yautjas did, but he had witnessed it between humans on earth. He had guessed right that it was something that she would enjoy, and he didn't mind it either. 

Lilly's lips were far softer than the ones that adorned Thua'ste's inner mouth. She kept on surprising him with how soft every part of her was. The peak of it when he had finally felt her warmth wrapped around him.  
He feels his cock slowly emerge from his sheath, the feeling of her wet mouth on his tongue reminding him of the velvety walls of her heat. 

Lilly pulls away from the kiss when Thua'ste's cock presses against her eagerly, the way she is straddling him causing instant friction with it against her cunt. 

"Are you sure you want to do this... With me?" She asks him and she looks ashamed. 

He recognizes that she must have taken what he said about the Yautjas and their offspring to heart. What he should do is tell her that she's right, that they should not do this just like he had previously said. Yet, he doesn't want to.  
At that moment he wishes he hadn't told her so she would blindly give herself to him again. 

"It's possible that I cannot impregnate you, our biology is distinctively different." Thua'ste tells Lilly.

He never felt the need to look into other Yautjas relationships, so he really does not know if any conceived offspring with other species. When he thinks about it, he feels like there's a higher possibility that they could.  
For now, he just promises himself that he will deal with it appropriately if it becomes relevant. 

Lilly seems doubtful, but her body shivers from Thua'ste's touch as he runs his claw teasingly over her breast.

"I'll take care of you." He reassures her.

Seemingly convinced, she whimpers softly as she drags his cock between her folds, wetness already starting to build. He had never dared to dream that his little human would be so erotic. Her little sounds, expressions, and the way she so willingly opened herself up for him driving him crazy. 

Thua'ste's hands cup Lilly's ass, helping her slide back and forth on his cock. He wants nothing more than to breach her tight entrance, but he knows he must let her prepare. 

"Thua'ste." She moans out, her eyes glazed over with lust. 

The water stirs around them as he grinds her faster onto his hard member. Both of them grunt when the head of his cock catches on her entrance.

Thua'ste's patience is running out quickly and he decides to seek out the little nub that made Lilly cry out yesterday. He makes her still on him, his cock pulsing with need against her slick heat. Her eyes flutter closed as he carefully rubs the swollen nub hidden between her folds. High pitched moans flow from her lips, her enjoyment clear as her grip on his shoulders tightens. With sights like this, how could any Yautja blame him for taking her?

After rubbing circles on the nub for a little, Lilly squirms wildly against Thua'ste. He can fill her slick easily when he stops his motions and testingly runs his fingers between her folds. 

His fingers abandon her heat to hold onto her hips, lifting her. He places her entrance over his cock, eyes meeting hers again, giving her a silent command.  
Lilly sinks down on his cock, walls tightly clenching around him. Thua'ste keeps her hips steady, only pushing them lightly as he wants to give her time to take him in. It goes easier than yesterday, no painful sounds leaving her lips. She breathes in sharply as she takes him till she sits snuggly against his pelvis. 

A squeal sounds from her when she tries to move on his thick length. "It's too big!" 

"You can take it." Thua'ste tells Lilly. 

One of his claws stays on her hip, the other moving to grab onto her ass. Slowly, he moves her up before pushing her down on his cock again. She whimpers and hides her face in his shoulder, her cunt pulsing around him. 

"How do I feel inside you, little human?" He asks her, hissing when she clenches around him in response. 

"Good, so good." She stutters out as he continues moving her onto his cock. 

"Let me see your face." Thua'ste commands her.

His cock twitches inside of Lilly's channel when he takes in her flustered face. When he sees her like this, face filled with desire and her submission to him, it's hard not to fuck her till he breaks her. 

Her muscles seem to relax, her mouth opening in a silent O as she experimentally sways her hips.  
He takes her in as she rides his cock, admiring her raw beauty. She moves so well on him, hips smoothly swaying as she makes him bottom out inside of her over and over again. 

Lilly's walls clench around him strongly, movements stilling as she cries out in ecstasy. She continues riding Thua'ste through her orgasm, but her movements have slowed down. 

Impatient for his own release, he grabs onto her again, holding her in place. Snapping his hips upwards, he starts to brutally fuck into her. Her eyes roll back slightly from the sudden change in intensity, Thua'ste roaring at her still spasming cunt.  
Pounding into her so wildly feels incredible, only having to hold himself back slightly. His cock twitches inside of her, the need to fill her with his seed overwhelming. 

Curses fall from Lilly's lips, her nails digging hard into Thua'ste's shoulders. The ferocious groans he makes together with his frantic pace signal his end to her.

"Ah! Cum in me!" She cries out and he more than happily obliges. 

He stills inside of her, pressing into her deepest spot with great force. The euphoria that runs through him as he fills her with his hot cum makes all the Yautja brews pale in comparison.  
Lilly breathes heavily as she stays seated on his cock, clenching walls milking him of every last drop. 

"Fuck." Thua'ste curses as he strokes her round ass with his hand. 

"Do you regret it?" She asks breathlessly, eyes seeking reassurance. 

"No, I don't." He answers honestly.

He could keep on fighting against his desire for her, but this was a battle that was impossible for him to win. Instead of mourning the loss of the battle with himself, he would savor the victory of owning her body.

A breathless laugh sounds from Lilly before she lays her head on his shoulder. Thua'ste keeps his cock inside of her, the warmth of it something he wouldn't mind feeling the whole day. 

"This is so fucked up." She says, a little giggly.

He strokes her back affectionately, trilling softly as he presses his nose to her hair. "Be prepared for much worse."

**\---------------------------------------------------------------------**

My body only feels a bit sore thanks to the bath. I can feel that my legs and especially between my thighs have taken quite a hit, but compared to the pain I was expecting it's nothing.

Thua'ste had been sweet the whole morning.  
After our latest round in the bath, he had replaced the water so it would be clean and hot again. He had even washed me gently, rubbing my skin in soothing motions. 

Afterwards he ate together with me for the first time. He didn't say a lot but it was nice to have company. 

It was only after Thua'ste went his own way to one of the forbidden rooms that I was left by myself.

Being left alone with my thoughts, I could barely believe it actually happened. I had done what I wanted without overthinking it, but I'm fairly sure this is not what my brother had pictured when he used to encourage me to do so. 

I'm a bit worried about what will happen. What if I do become pregnant? Clearly, Thua'ste wouldn't be happy, and neither would his clan. But as he said, it might not even be possible.  
I did take birth control on earth, for years in a row. From what I remember woman usually take months or even a year to become pregnant after quitting it.  
For now, all I can do is hope he isn't insanely fertile. 

After going past Thua'ste's weapon room and concluding he isn't there, I go to his trophy room. This is, besides the entrance, the only room on the ship that has two doors, so it's easily recognizable. 

I reach out to knock, but my hand nervously hovers over the metal. I want to ask him if I can go see Nilni. It would be nice to have a 'girl chat' after the recent events.  
Swallowing my hesitation, I knock on the doors. 

"Come in." Thua'ste calls from the other side, surprising me.

Previously I was never allowed to enter. Seems like our physical relationship is already making him more lenient towards me. 

A beep sounds and the doors slide open, revealing him standing behind them. My eyes dart from Thua'ste's intense gaze to the exterior of the room. 

It's absolutely morbid.  
Big and small skulls adorn the walls, the black metal almost completely drowned out as there's little space left. At the end of the room, there's a workbench with all kinds of unpleasant tools on it, as well as the half skinned head of a previous kill. 

I try not to focus on the several human skulls hung on the walls, my eyes instead falling on the huge skull above the workbench. This isn't the only one with a long head and rows of sharp teeth, but the size and crown-like end of it makes this one stand out.  
I hope I never meet a creature like that. 

"That's the skull of a xenomorph queen. You have good taste." Thua'ste tells me, clicking proudly.

I turn to face him. "It looks terrifying."

He laughs at my reaction. "I'm sure it is, to you." 

Walking closer to me, he gets a serious look on his face. 

"I'll dedicate my next hunt on a queen to you." He tells me.

I have no desire to receive a giant skull, but the tone in which he says it makes it clear that it means a lot to him. 

"Thank you, Thua'ste." I tell him with a smile.

He nods his head, seeming happy at my approval.

"What did you need me for?" Thua'ste asks me.

"Well, I wanted to ask you if I could see a friend on the market?" I nervously fiddle my hands. 

His face shows clear displeasure, his back straightening. "A friend?" 

I chuckle a little. "Yes, Nilni. She was with me at the bar, she has been really nice to me."

He quiets for a moment as he seems to struggle with remembering who Nilni was.

Finally, he shakes his head. "The Nogvain, I despise those acid spitters." 

I pout at Thua'ste, stepping closer to him. "Please? I know we probably won't stay here much longer." 

He sighs as I lay a hand against his chest.

"Fine, I will accompany you till I go for the supplies. We are leaving tomorrow." He tells me and I nod, agreeing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I'm sure you will have noticed after reading this chapter, I have changed the formatting.   
> The reason behind this is that I've noticed that this is one of the most common ways to do it, and I felt like my fic looked less 'professional' compared to the others because of my old format. 
> 
> Please do tell me if this way looks worse! You guys are the ones reading it after all ♥


	13. Gifts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **WARNING**  
>  Explicit sexual content

Walking the market with Thua'ste by my side is a completely different experience. 

When we pass their stands, the aliens fearfully look at him, their shouts dying down as they don't want to provoke him. Even when the long rows are filled with creatures, a path is cleared for us within seconds. I know it's only because of Thua'ste, but I can't help but feel a bit self-assured. I think I could get used to this. 

I glance at him, taking in how confidently he strides next to me. By the day he gets more attractive to me, maybe because I got used to his nonhuman appearance. His whole stature calls out to me, the feeling only getting magnified by finding out how good he feels.

Thua'ste's eyes meet mine and he trills in response, apparently sensing what I'm thinking about. I have to giggle at his smugness. 

"Are you bringing me to your planet next?" I ask curiously, swaying the netted bag back and forth in my hand. 

Shaking his head, his eyes look forward at the crowds again. "It might be a while until we visit Yautja prime, which is for the best." 

My smile drops slightly, I should've known the answer already by myself. The only thing that makes Thua'ste tolerate me is his attraction to me, so I doubt I would get a warm welcome by others. 

"Where will we go then?" I ask him, moving on. 

He stops at a stall that has a variety of exotic nuts and dried fruits, ordering the big-eared alien behind it to fill up a bag of them. 

"Omicron Persei 8 and the dwarf planets around it. There's big game there." He tells me casually as he tosses some coins at the alien. 

Thua'ste passes the bag to me, guessing that I can handle the weight. The huge amount makes the bag quite heavy, but I can take it. 

"Are your hunts dangerous?" I ask him. The Yautja seem to be so skilled and overpowered that I can't imagine them losing. 

"It wouldn't be a worthy hunt if it wasn't." He answers me smugly. 

"Oh, so humans are a challenge then?" I ask, seeing an opportunity. I'm fairly sure that is the most credit he has given us.

Thua'ste groans at my victorious tone. "In ways, thanks to the cunningness you posses." He gazes at me. "You are excluded from that group."

I frown, waving his comment off with my hand. I definitely am not an athlete, nor am I an academic, but I would say I'm cunning. Seems like he forgot that I almost have him eating out of my hand after a mere week.

"If you say so mister superior." I say, which causes him to grumble. His pride is still easily hurt, but I feel like he is getting better at taking in my remarks.

We finally reach Nilni's stand, Thua'ste's several stops having slowed us down. She doesn't look pleased to see me, her lips staying pressed tightly together. I'm fairly sure that his presence is making her irritated. 

"Nilni is glad to see you are okay." She tells me, arms crossed tightly over her chest. Thua'ste clicks aggressively at the implication that he would hurt me. 

"I'm doing great!" I say, quickly stepping in front of him. Them fighting is one thing that I'd prefer to avoid.

"Did you get new stuff?" My eyes glide over the stand, spotting several new things. 

"Yes, scavengers came to make deals." Nilni confirms. 

My fingers lightly caress a damaged book. The letters of the title are faded, the brown leather binding it is ripped in places.

"Do you want that?" Thua'ste asks me, moving to stand next to me. 

I pick the book up, happy to discover that most of the writing is intact when I carefully flip through the pages. "I do if it's okay."

His claw moves to my shoulder, stroking it lightly. "It is, take whatever you like." 

I look at him, quite surprised. His eyes give me the explanation. _You scratch my back, I scratch yours._ I feel a bit dirty at the implication of me getting gifts in return for sex, but I guess I can't be picky in my situation. 

I decided that I only wanted the book, but Thua'ste insisted on one of the necklaces. If it was made of bones I would understand, but this one had a delicate, golden chain that had a small emerald pendant at the end of it. It was his money, so I could hardly reject it. 

Thua'ste looked pleased after I put it on, leaving me to catch up with Nilni. 

"Wow, you must have a treasure between your legs." Nilni says as soon as he is out of sight. 

My cheeks heat up in response and I nervously laugh. "If I do, he definitely dug deep enough to find it." She has to laugh a little as well at that. 

"Nevertheless, Nilni has never seen a Yautja act like that." She tells me. 

So Thua'ste's behavior is different then. I won't pretend like I hadn't noticed that his natural attraction to me seems extremely strong, for human standards. I had felt a spark as well when I took him in for the first time, but not as strong as he did. I wonder if it has to do with the Yautjas heightened senses in some way.

"You run a stand for humans, so others must have passed by. Were any of them with Yautjas?" I ask curiously. 

Nilni smiles at me. "Nilni has not had this stand for long, but there were some. They were slaves of the Hish-qu-Ten clan, they didn't seem as happy nor free as you."

That's just great, the only clan that is confirmed to live with humans keeps them as slaves. It definitely does not ease my worries. Was that something that could happen when I arrive at Yautja prime? Being forced into serving other, possibly cruel, Yautjas? 

"What about other species? Any Yautjas with non-Yautjas?" I desperately press on. I need a more positive answer.

She nods her head. "Not many, but there were Yautjas with other species as mates, not only as slaves."

A sigh comes out before I notice it. Okay, so maybe there was a sliver of a chance that I would not be killed or enslaved upon them finding out. Would Thua'ste let that happen? Would he just surrender me? We have known each other for a short period, I doubt solely our physical connection could save me. Could there be more between us? I'm not sure yet.

"Nilni does not like the Yautjas, but your big guy seems... Okay." Nilni tells me as she picks up a little clay chest from under her stand, putting it on the table.

"He is, I got lucky in a twisted way." I say, curiously eyeing what she's doing. When she opens the chest up, the sun brightly reflects off the surface of colorful gems and rocks. They are different from any that I've seen on earth, the colors seeming to move and twist around. 

"You are leaving soon, right?" Nilni asks me and I nod my head. 

"I'm leaving tomorrow, how did you know?" I ask and she snickers in response. 

"Yautja never stay in one place long unless it's for their hunt, yours already overstayed." She tells me and takes one of the gems out of the chest before closing the lid and putting it away. 

Nilni keeps the gem cupped between her slender fingers, toothy smile widening as she talks. "Nilni has a gift for Lilly." 

I'm baffled as she opens her hands to show me the gem, extending her arms towards me so I can it up close. It's beautiful, shape, and whitish undertone reminding me of an Opal. But what takes my breath is how a mixture of green, blue, and pink seems to dance around each other under the surface. It's like someone trapped a piece of northern light inside it. 

I look up at Nilni's face, shaking my head. "I can't take this, Nilni! This looks like it's worth millions!" 

She laughs at my reaction, keeping the gem in one hand so she can grab mine and push it against my palm forcefully. "Nope, it's completely worthless! Nilni's home planet's ground is covered with these." She says and closes my fingers around it, holding onto my hand afterward. 

"They are treasures to Nilni, pieces of home. I want you to have one, the galaxy is your home now too, Lilly." She tells me and gives my hand an affirming tap before pulling away. 

I feel like crying, I never expected her to say and do something _this_ sweet. What is up with these aliens and putting me through emotional rollercoasters?

Nilni cocks her head, holding her signature toothy smile. "We will meet again, human. Nilni will be fine and so will you."

I smile back at her and nod, pushing away the tears as I hold the gem in my hand tightly. 

"Thank you so much, Nilni, truly." I tell her but she waves it off. 

"Getting emotional over trash! Silly human, Nilni has much to teach you." She says casually but her skin grows a little brownish around her nose in what I assume to be a blush. 

"Seems like you do. If I find some nice trash I'll be sure to bring it to you." I laugh and she instantly joins in. 

Nilni claps her hands together. "Nilni would like that. Now off you go, human. The day is young and sells are low!" 

I put my hands up, surrendering as I start walking away. "Alright, alright! Take care, Nilni." 

She leans over her table, outstretching her arm and waving me off. "You too, don't die!"

I nibble on one of the pink, dried fruits as I read the book in Thua'ste's chair. No clue which one it is yet, it has a pretty general story about a man who believes some house to be haunted, but I'm just glad to have some distraction as Thua'ste works on his things. Besides walking around aimlessly and staring at the view, there usually isn't much to do around here.

A shiver runs over my body when I remember that there is one other new activity.  
I know Thua'ste's resolve to not touch me has been completely busted from how he acted in the bathtub this morning. Not that I'm complaining, besides the pain at first the experiences had been extremely pleasant for me as well. 

Just as I get to a tense part in my book, Thua'ste enters the room. I peek at him from over the top of it, hoping that he is just getting something so I can finish this part. My eyes meet his and I can tell he is about to make a comment.   
Shit, I'll get back to you Dr. Montague.

I put my finger between the pages and close the book, keeping it on my lap as I sit up straighter. "What is it?" I question.

"Only some of our most ancient Elders read from books." Thua'ste says, head slightly cocked to the side. 

I can't help but roll my eyes a little. The Yautjas are more advanced in every way, yes, I get it. 

"We don't have your fancy armguard screens and holograms, okay?" I snap and he seems taken aback by my hostile tone. 

I feel bad as soon as I see his reaction. It's clear that this time he did not comment to spite me, he was just curious. I'm not sure why I got that defensive, I guess I just wanted to protect this little piece of home.

"I'm aware. Can I see it?" Thua'ste asks me and I nod my head meekly, feeling ashamed. 

He comes closer, reaching out his claw and gently taking hold of the book. It looks ridiculously small when he holds it. He flips through some of the pages, and I wonder if he can understand what it says. My question is answered when he looks up from the book. 

"What does this book teach?" He asks me, face as serious as can be. 

I laugh and stand up to take the book from Thua'ste's hands. "Nothing. It's a fictional story." 

He looks confused at that. "What is the use of reading it then?"

I hold the book dearly in my hands, fingers sliding over the cover. 

"It's just for fun, to make you feel happy, sad, scared, whatever the story is aiming for." I tell him. 

"Does reading bring you satisfaction?" He asks, seeming a bit intrigued. 

I nod my head, smiling at him. "It does. My mom used to read to me when I was small, and I picked up the hobby myself as soon as I could." I roll my eyes at myself, awkwardly pushing a strand of hair behind my ear. Way to overshare, Lilly.

"My mother taught me how to hunt. She taught me how not to only achieve honor through it, but also satisfaction." Thua'ste shares with me. 

I'm surprised at his openness, I doubt that he tells this to just anybody. I can tell from the look in his eyes that she must mean a lot to him, even after his previously big talk about them having less close connections. 

"She must be proud of you." I tell Thua'ste. 

He seems happy at my remark and I can imagine why. I was definitely the kid that fished for compliments, and this was one of my favorites. When teachers said that it would make my C's in English feel like I was a mini Einstein. 

We both stay quiet and the silence quickly starts to become heavy, causing me to nervously rub at the book's edges. I clear my throat, cracking my mind for something to say. 

"Did putting the cargo away go well?" I awkwardly settle on. 

Thua'ste chuckles at my question, clearly amused at my suffering. 

"It did, everything is ready for tomorrow." He answers. 

I nod, biting my lip. Okay, what now?

He almost completely closes the distance between us, looking at the necklace around my neck. I wonder if it actually looks good, seeing that there is a crude metal collar just above it.

"It suits you." He tells me as he slides his claw over the nape of my neck before lightly touching the emerald. 

"Thank you for getting it for me." I tell him, my heart fluttering in my chest at his closeness. How did this innocent conversation turn tense within minutes?!

He looks up at me and his eyes don't let go of mine, the deep gold pulling me in. "I don't recall getting my payment for it." He says. 

A blush creeps onto my face and I quickly turn away from him. I move to the smooth, empty surfaces next to the control panels to put my book down. My body screams to give it some rest before it actually starts to hurt and I try to oblige it by taking my time putting the book down, but he quickly moves behind me.   
I shiver as Thua'ste presses his crotch against my ass, his hard member obvious as he's currently only wearing his loincloth. My breath catches in my throat as his claws slide under my top. He palms my breasts roughly, pinching my nipples when he catches them between his fingers. 

"Thua'ste... I need some rest or I'll break." I say, voice high pitched as I try not to moan under his touch.

He purrs behind me, hands abandoning my breasts to push my skirt up over my ass. I blush violently as I feel the cold air hitting my already slick heat. He has seen all parts of me already, yet this feels much more exposing. 

"Perhaps, yet your body calls out for me." Thua'ste says, groaning as he grinds himself against me, wetness staining his loincloth. 

I bite my lip, not able to deny it. I wish my body and mind could decide on one thing for once. 

Suddenly, something snaps to the front of my hazy mind. The huge window! 

"W-wait! Can't they see us like this?!" I point out just as he lifts his loincloth out of the way behind me. I look out at the ships around us, not seeing any creatures at the moment but there could easily be some any moment.

Thua'ste chuckles behind me. "Only if they have incredible eyesight, it's hard to look in from the outside." 

That definitely comforts me a bit, but I still stare out of the window. With the variety of creatures that walk around here, who says some wouldn't have that?

I cry out as Thua'ste abruptly pushes the head of his cock into me. Turning my head, I glare at him. 

"Focus on me." He growls. 

I look in front of me again, hands and chest bracing against the cold metal as he bends me over it. My slick makes it fairly easy for him to slide further into my channel, stretching my walls around his cock. A stream of moans leaves my mouth as he swiftly pushes himself into me to the hilt.

"Spread yourself for me." Thua'ste orders as he takes hold of my waist.

I whimper, taking hold of my ass cheeks and spreading them as he pounds into me from behind. Previous times I had felt like he had dominated my body, but that was nothing compared to how possessively he fucked me now. Perhaps accepting his gifts had cemented his ownership on me to him. 

His grip on my waist is tight as he pulls me off and on his cock in long but fast motions. "You're so obedient when I'm buried inside your cunt." He hisses out. 

My walls clamp around Thua'ste at his words, something about how he talks to me turning me on immensely. He groans loudly behind me and moves one of his claws under my body. 

I scream out his name when he rubs at my clit, his rough skin feeling amazing against the swollen nub. 

"Good human, clench me more and I'll fill you with my seed." Thua'ste says, the familiar strain in his voice returning.

With the way he touches my clit while his cock hits all the spots inside me, it's not hard to oblige. 

Another loud cry is ripped from my throat as my orgasm unexpectedly crashes over me, walls wildly spasming around his cock. I hear him curse behind me but I can't make out the words, my head dazed from how hard I came.   
I soon feel Thua'ste's hips stilling and a familiar warmth flooding my insides. His cock twitches inside me for what feels like minutes, my cunt pulsing from pleasure and the beating it just took. When he pulls out of me I immediately feel his cum flowing out, hearing it hit the floor in tiny splats. You would think his load would be smaller than in the morning, but the opposite seems to be true. 

Thua'ste picks me up, my exhausted body pressing against his. He holds me in his arms as he walks over to the chair and sits down on it. I can feel his chest rise steadily against me as I meekly lean my head against it. One of his claws strokes my thighs as the other arm is tightly wrapped around my back to hold me against him. He bends forward, scraping his mandibles over my face lightly before seemingly taking in my scent. 

"You will never be empty again, little human." He tells me as I close my eyes to rest and I have no doubt that he is telling the truth.


	14. Mei’hswei

Thua'ste kept his promise, I had indeed not felt empty a single day. 

About a month had passed and he had not left me alone. He took me in every position possible, multiple times a day, and in whatever room he wished. It was exhausting but addicting and my body had been pushed over it's limit numerous times yet I continued to indulge him. Even after hunting on the new planet for weeks, his appetite had not faltered. 

I have gotten used to a certain routine. Thua'ste takes me in the morning, then goes out to hunt for hours, returns with his kill, takes me again, cleans the skull and takes the meat he eats, and takes me for a final time before we sleep. 

My body minds it at times but I do not. I enjoy his company more by the day, and not only because of the sex.  
Thua'ste and I talk a lot now, for hours a day sometimes. He tells me about the Yautjas, his Jungle hunters clan, his greatest hunting conquests, and less enjoyably, about his sexual conquests. I have opened up to him considerably as well, sharing more about my family and various other things about my life on earth. 

On days when he has patience, he attempts to teach me the Yautja alphabet. It's hard for me since a lot of the symbols resemble each other, but I think I'm making good progress. I can spell my name already since it only contains three different letters. I do wish he would be in the mood to teach me more often seeing that he is my only translation source for the texts. 

I don't want to label anything yet, but I do feel a certain _fondness_ growing for Thua'ste the more time passes. 

Even though I am pleased with how Thua'ste's and I's relationship has been progressing, every day that passes feels longer. I'm alone the majority of the day and it feels empty. I used to have friends and family I could visit, my job, and my hobbies, the days that before were too short to fit my schedule now are painfully bare.  
I have taken up the habit of cleaning around the ship, which is not something that I necessarily enjoy but it gives me something to do and it's a help to Thua'ste. But blood stains run out just as book pages do. 

I scrub at a big bloodstain on one of Thua'ste's furs for the bed. Normal blood is pretty easy to get out, but unfortunately, he lays down with all kinds of weird creatures blood on him. This stain is a purplish-blue that is being a pain to get out but luckily not acidic. Holes are kinda impossible to erase. 

The floor is hard on my ass, but I prefer doing it in the entranceway so I can just wash the blood that comes off away with a bucket of water. The wet, rough sponge does not seem to be doing anything and I curse in frustration. 

The giant ship door opens and I watch Thua'ste angrily wait on the second one to open up. He walks in with fast steps when it does, snarling and empty-handed. 

"I will find it!" He yells before I can ask anything, making me flinch. 

He has been attempting to track a rare species for days now, and the failure to locate it is frustrating him greatly. I wish I could help him, but all I can do is set some traps that I learned in my first and only week of girl scouts. 

"I know you will. Be patient, it's skull will soon be yours." I tell him as I stand up, abandoning my task on the floor. 

Thua'ste trills under his helmet as I lay my hand against his broad chest comfortingly. His breathing calms down, his anger subsiding. I'm glad that he allows me to comfort him now, unlike before. 

A loud ping sounds through the ship's system. It's a sound that he has been ignoring for weeks, refusing to tell me the reason why. Now he heard it he immediately seems tense again. 

"Thua'ste... Are you sure you shouldn't look at that?" I ask Thua'ste carefully. 

He stays silent as he thinks, grinding his teeth audibly. I'm fairly sure someone is trying to contact him, but he will not confirm nor deny it. I wonder if it has to do with me in some way. 

"Lilly." He says suddenly, snapping me out of my thoughts. 

I look up at his masked face with questioning eyes. "Yes?"

"I will deal with it, but you have to stay in the bedchamber till I say you can come out." He tells me strictly. 

I want to ask many questions, but decide for now just to nod. Hopefully, when he has dealt with whatever he has to deal with he'll be more open to talking. 

**\---------------------------------------------------------------------**

Thua'ste locked the room door just to make sure that Lilly wouldn't leave, he could not take the risk.

He feels an unusual emotion for him as he sits in his captain's chair, staring at the screen hologram in front of him. He feels anxious, reading over all the angry messages his brother Vain-bhihre had left him. He had told him that he would arrive on Yautja prime swiftly, but the opposite was true and his brother was mad. 

Thua'ste shakes away the thoughts, straightening out his shoulders as he makes sure to show confidence. Vain-bhihre was his inferior, he would not be nervous to confront him. He presses a few buttons and waits as the call rings on his brother's side. It doesn't take long for him to pick up, his angry face popping on screen. 

"Where have you been, Mei’hswei?!" Vain-bhihre asks. 

Thua'ste growls at him warningly, immediately asserting his dominance. Vain-bhihre's aggressive stance disappears as he recognizes his brother's authority even through a screen. 

"I've been expanding my trophies, as you should be instead of staying home like a suckling!" Thua'ste says, snapping his mandibles. 

Vain-bhihre bows his head slightly. "You are right, however, the elders of our clan have been questioning your long absence."

Pauk. Thua'ste is glad he has prepared a good reason to explain it. "Inform them that I've been tracking down a Scek and will not return till I have its skull." He tells his brother. 

Vain-bhihre looks impressed with the answer, recognizing the rarity of the hunt. "You put us all to shame, Mei’hswei."

Thua'ste feels wrong for lying to his brother, but he had become more and more unwilling to let Lilly go. He hopes that was all his brother wanted to know so this call can end swiftly.

"A youngblood that passed by our clan said that she had mated with you and that a human had been present on your ship." Vain-bhihre says, totally catching Thua'ste off guard. "I silenced her and did not spread the information. Speak to me truthfully, Thua'ste." He continues.

Thua'ste can't deny the claim, his brother will know that he is lying. Vain-bhihre is loyal and if he gives him his trust, Thua'ste is sure he will keep it a secret. He had prepared the hot-tempered youngling for his Chiva centuries ago and continued to mentor him afterward. Vain-bhihre looks up to and respects him greatly because of that. 

"She spoke the truth. I did not kill the human female, I have kept her alive." Thua'ste says candidly. 

Vain-bhihre stays quiet, his mandibles twitching as he tries his hardest to contain his anger. "Why?"

Why? Thua'ste mauls the question over for a bit. The real answer was that had found her arousing since he first laid his eyes on her, but he hoped he could explain it in a way that made it sound more dignified than that. 

Growing impatient and nervous, Vain-bhihre tears a shred of meat off of his meal. He devours it swiftly as he continues to wait on his brother's answer.

Pauk, Thua'ste really can't explain it better outside of carnal desire. Lilly's body wasn't the only thing he craved anymore, he looked forward to hearing her stories and snarky comments every time he returned to the ship, but he did not wish to tell his brother that. 

"She is... Sexually alluring." Thua'ste finally forces out.

Vain-bhihre is caught off guard. His brother had been a desired mate, he was aware of that, but he had not shown any interest in humans previously. 

"But, she's a pyode amedha!" He snarls. 

Thua'ste shakes his head. "I know you smelled her as well, Mei’hswei." 

Vain-bhihre had smelled her sweet scent as well, Thua'ste was sure of it. The difference was that the human hadn't called to him as she did to Thua'ste.

"I did, and I was willing to take her skull nevertheless!" Vain-bhihre says. 

"Pauk, Vain-bhihre! You have known me for centuries. I have never felt this drawn to other females, don't you trust my instincts?!" Thua'ste yells and slams his fist down on the armrest of his chair. 

Vain-bhihre goes quiet on the other side, thinking it over. 

"I do. What are you planning to do when you return?" He asks. 

Thua'ste sighs. "I'm still working on it. In the meantime, could you find out if any of our clan Mei’hsweis and Mei-jadhis have non-yautja mates?" 

Vain-bhihre hesitates before nodding his head agreeingly. "Yes, I'll report back in a week." 

"Thank you, Mei’hswei." Thua'ste says and they slightly bow their heads at each other respectfully before ending the call. 

**\---------------------------------------------------------------------**

Okay, so Thua'ste was definitely talking to someone. I heard his booming voice resonate through the ship a few times when he raised it. It must not have gone well if he needed to yell. 

The agonizing minutes feel like hours as I wait for him to release me. I lay on the end of his bed, swaying my legs around that hang over the edge. I try not to think about who he could be talking to and about what. It's better just not to worry about it if I have no clue yet. 

I sit up quickly when I hear the familiar beep of the door opening. Thua'ste looks just a little stressed as he enters, so that's already much better than I anticipated. He walks over and sits down on the bed next to me. I feel my tense as I wait for him to tell me what this was all about. Him sitting on the bed with me like this seems like he will break bad news to me.

"My brother Vain-bhihre knows that you are with me." Thua'ste finally says. 

I look at him, wide-eyed. That does not sound good, not at all. 

"He will keep it to himself, but it was because of carelessness." He continuous before I can say something. 

I hold onto one of his claws, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "If he keeps quiet that there is no issue, is there?" 

His eyes meet mine, their shine having dulled compared to normally. "I've berated you countless times for being careless, yet I am the one who could've cost you your head." 

I smile at him. "Well, I would normally say that we are all human and make mistakes, but that doesn't apply here." 

Thua'ste groans, but I know that the big grump finds it at least a little funny. 

"Sooo... Will I get off the hook more easily from now on?" I ask teasingly. 

"No!" He immediately snarls, causing me to laugh. 

"Are you not afraid?" Thua'ste questions, eyes scanning over my face. He clearly finds my reactions odd.

I shrug. "I am, but if I gave into it then this would've been a very stressful month."

I have dealt with stress and other negative emotions by making light of it as long as I can remember. It might not be a healthy coping mechanism, but it is mostly effective. 

"You are quite resilient, in your own way." He says and I roll my eyes at his half compliment, half jab. 

Thua'ste shakes his claw loose from my hand as he stands up, rolling his shoulders to release tension. 

"I will return to my hunt, do not wait up for me." He says without looking at me. 

I frown. This is new, and I'm not liking the sound of it. Clearly his thoughts are weighing on him, but how does he think I feel? Out there he has to be alert and active, not allowing for other worries, but in here I have way too much time to let my thoughts run loose. 

"Can I go with you, please?" I ask.

Thua'ste turns around with an irritated look on his face. "No, we have discussed this already." 

There really hadn't been much of a discussion. I had asked him if I could go with him a week ago and he had instantly rejected the idea. He told me that he was not concerned I would get hurt, seeing that he would be around, but that he didn't want me to get in the way. I offered that I would help however I could, but he made it clear that he did not want to babysit me. 

I get up from the bed, crossing my arms so I can stand strong in front of Thua'ste. "I don't want to stay locked inside for so long, Thua'ste. Please, I promise I won't get in your way." I tell him. 

He clicks impatiently at me, but I stand my ground. "We both are worried, so isn't it fair that we both get to clear our heads?" I ask.

Thua'ste shakes his head as he disapprovingly takes me in. "Even if I allow it, you cannot go outside like this, you would get sick and die within days." He tells me. 

"What would I need to go outside?" I question. 

He thinks about that for a little. I'm aware now that during the first days he gathered data about my body and it's functions, which makes it easier to tailor things to me. 

"A mask with the same filtering functions as my bio-helmet is the most important, but armor pieces for your skin would be wise." He says after weighing the options. 

I bite my lip. That does sound like quite some equipment. 

"Could you make it for me?" I ask Thua'ste sweetly. 

His eyes show intense anger before quickly cooling down as he stares at my face. With a sigh, he drags his claw over it. 

"I suppose I could make the mask with the scraps I have onboard." He grumbles from under his palm. 

I smile, stepping closer to him to give him a kiss when he frees his face. But as soon as he does so he slams his hand against my forehead, holding me in place. 

"Ow!" I whine and pull at his arm with my hands, which does absolutely nothing. 

"You will make your own armor, as our younglings do before they are allowed to participate." Thua'ste tells me strictly. 

I look up at him with questioning eyes, hands stilling around his thick arm. "And how would I know how to do that?"

His mandibles click rapidly as he laughs. "You will know after I teach you." 

I shake my head against his palm, making sure to show the displeasure on my face. 

"Oh, so you can teach me like every 3 days? Great, I'm sure I'll have armor by next year then!" I say as I roll my eyes. 

Thua'ste snarls in my face at my attitude. He really should've gotten used to it by now. 

"Very well then, we are starting right now." He tells me before he moves his hand to my arm, so fast that I don't even notice before he pulls me with him. 

Thua'ste sure is fast when he is angry. He has put down a table and chairs in one of the empty rooms of the ship and angrily stomped around as he gathered everything we need.   
Now that the table is covered in slabs of leather looking material, tools, tiny bolts, and thick looking threads, he looks ready to show me how to do it. 

"So no metal like on yours?" I ask curiously.  
He shakes his head. "No, I will make you shin guards and shoulder plates, but nothing else. You are already slow, the weight will only make it worse." 

I feel a little offended but know he is absolutely right. I can't imagine having to run around in his heavy armor pieces.

Thua'ste explains that he will make a breastplate with me so all the organs in my chest have some protection. The material he uses isn't leather, instead, he says it's made off Vumo skin. It feels insanely thick and sturdy, the material a dark green hue. He runs me over the basics before putting me to work under his watchful eye, only telling me when I do something wrong and supplying me with my exact measurements. First I used a skin staining chalk to outline the form before cutting it out with a knife that slides through it like it's butter. Now I got the part that wraps around my body.   
Secondly, I repeat the process for another chest piece, this one stopping under my bust, and continue on like that for the shoulder straps and two crescent-shaped flaps that sturdy the edges of the top piece of my bust. The forms had to be perfect, every time I chalked or cut something crooked Thua'ste made me redo it. 

By the time all the pieces were correctly cut out, hours had passed, my hands aching from the precise work. 

"You did good, we'll continue tomorrow." He tells me, placing a hand on my shoulder as he gets up from his chair. 

I sigh, letting my head fall forward as I finally put the knife down. My fingers feel cramped as I open and ball my fist repeatedly to bring some life back in them. 

"I'm having a hard time imagining you brutes doing this all patiently." I groan out at Thua'ste. 

He chuckles and squeezes my shoulder lightly. "We are ruthless in our hunts and wars, but we have a strict code of conduct. If we solely relied on our strength we would have gone extinct long ago like many other species."

"How does this prepare your people for hunts?" I question, tired eyes looking up at him as I turn my head. 

"It teaches them discipline, self-control, and how to be one with their armor. All are essential qualities to possess before engaging in combat." He answers. 

I can't help but smile. Thua'ste truly does sound like a wise old man when he talks like this, and I admire it. His way of talking makes him sound stiff at times, but like this, it just fits perfectly. 

"What went wrong with your self-control?" I ask and giggle at my own joke. 

He's amused as well, chuckling as he seems to be self-aware about that at least. 

"It was excellent before I met you." He tells me as he pulls me up from my chair. 

His broad chest presses tightly against mine as he holds me. As my eyes meet his I feel my heart skip a beat, seeing that he is blatantly admiring me. 

"I'm really tired, is it okay if tonight-" I start to say but he cuts me off. 

"It is. Take your rest." Thua'ste says and I smile warmly at him in return. 

"I'm really curious about what's out there, seeing it from the window is probably nothing compared to actually walking through that forest." I tell him and he hums in agreement as he absentmindedly strokes my hair. 

"When all your pieces are done I'll brief you on what to expect." He says. 

"Oh, so I don't get myself killed?" I tease.

Thua'ste laughs, chest rumbling heavily against mine. "Among other things." 

I move my hand up to touch his cheek and he eagerly leans into it. He has made no secret about enjoying the softness of my skin and I happily feed into it. His skin might be rough and a little scaly, but the heat beneath it feels comforting. 

"Thank you for teaching me this and for allowing me to go with you. I know that you prefer to go alone so I really appreciate it." I tell him. 

He shakes his head lightly against my hand. "I'm aware I have done you a disservice by taking you from your kind, see this as my attempts to make amends." 

I nod my head and carefully press a kiss next to his mandibles at his free cheek, not sure on what else to say or do. I made my peace with the situation, and I do not actively resent nor hate him, but I won't act like he has made up for what he did. I feel conflicted about how much of the blame I can put on him. He was the one who took me from my planet, yet if he had left me, Connor would have finished me off or made my life a living hell in a new way. I'm confident that one day the slate between me and Thua'ste will be clean, but that is not yet today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mei’hsweis = brothers  
> Pauk = fuck  
> pyode amedha = soft meat  
> Mei-jadhis = Sisters
> 
> The next chapter might take a bit longer to come out, but I'll try my best to have it up ASAP.


	15. Thrill of the hunt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **WARNING**  
>  This chapter contains: Graphic descriptions of violence, death of animals, explicit sexual content that includes slight dubious consent.

The armor pieces came together swiftly as Thua'ste spend hours on it with me every day. I found out that cutting out the forms was the easiest part by far, the other tasks had left bruises and tiny cuts on my hands and forearms from the amount of strength it took to do them. The green skin was so insanely thick and strong, and unlike the knife, the tool that I pierced the holes for the threads with almost had me stomping on it to get through the material. Talking about the threads, no clue what they were made off but it felt like braided horsehair and was a nightmare to handle. 

I finished sewing and bolting the several pieces together yesterday, my breastplate finally being done after four days. Thua'ste had worked beside me on my mask, shin guards and shoulder guards and even remodeled one of his old wrist gauntlets to fit me, it couldn't do all the high tech things his current one could but I would be able to communicate with him through it if I did get lost. 

Today is the big day to fit everything on, and if we did well Thua'ste is taking me out on this planet for the first time. I feel nervous as I splash some water from the sink onto my face. I believe him when he tells me that he'll keep me safe, I've seen what his kind is capable of after all, yet I'm still a bit scared for what I will encounter out there. A shiver runs over me at the thought of encountering one of those giant spider-like things that he dragged in a few days ago, but I quickly shake it off. 

The market place had been neutral ground, but on this planet, the aliens inhabiting it ruled and would see me as an invasive species. Thua'ste had informed me long ago already that there was no intelligent life' here, only creatures that were like animals on earth, and they would act accordingly. My job had never required me to interact with animals in their natural habitat, seeing that I worked with the dogs from puppyhood until they were assigned to their handlers. How I wish I could see one of their adorable faces again. 

"Are you ready?" Thua'ste's booming voice behind me startles me and I turn around swiftly. 

I give him a sheepish smile, a bit embarrassed that I got so lost in my own thoughts. 

"I- I am! Did you lay it out on the bed?" I ask, stuttering slightly. 

Thua'ste nods, eyes gliding over my face as he seems to be a little surprised at my reaction. 

I quickly walk past him and into the bedroom and he follows suit. The pieces are neatly laid out as I expected and it's hard to believe I actually had a hand in creating the breastplate. I smile as a proud feeling blossoms in my chest.  
I pick the breastplate up, sliding my arms through the straps before holding it against my body as Thua'ste moves behind me to lace it up. I take in a sharp breath as he ties it tightly to ensure it stays in place even with a lot of movement. It's nice to have my makeshift top under the leather-like material, I feel like my breasts would get sore otherwise. The part around my waist and stomach feels a bit hard, but the sturdiness is reassuring when I picture something trying to hit me there. 

Thua'ste moves in front of me again, studying how the breastplate fits me with an intense gaze. "How does it feel?" He asks. 

"Good, very sturdy." I answer and he seems pleased. 

Without saying anything else he gets the shin guards and crouches down to put them on. The matte black metal feels cold as he clamps them shut around my lower legs, a soft click sounding when they are secured. His claws move over both guards, checking if he can easily move them. After he sees that they are good, Thua'ste lets his claws slide up my legs and thighs as he stands up, making me shiver under his touch. 

"Focus, your energy will be needed elsewhere." He tells me, moving his hands away as if he was not the one who just did that. 

I give him an irritated look as I pick up the shoulder guards and shove them into his hands. I can see from the look in his eyes that he knows exactly what he's doing. 

Thua'ste makes fast work of attaching the shoulder guards, clicking them onto the mechanism he attached to the shoulder straps effortlessly. 

"Pay close attention, I will only explain this once." He tells me as he picks up the wrist gauntlet. 

I straighten my back as he puts the device around my arm, it feels heavier than I expected. He bends my arm so I can easily look at the screen as he starts his explanation. 

"You activate the screen by swiping it. As you can see there is only one option, just press it and I will be able to hear you until you press it again, you will be able to hear me through it as well." He explains, showing me every step slowly. 

I nod my head. It really isn't a lot to remember so that should be manageable. 

"It's only for emergencies." Thua'ste says warningly. 

"I understand, thank you." I tell him but he's already busy again with the mask. 

I feel anxious as he presses it onto my face without a word. The mask covers the area from the bridge of my nose till just over my chin, it's a little bulky but it's surprisingly smooth to breathe through. After a minute of inhaling through it, it doesn't feel any different from breathing normally. 

"How do I look?" I ask and hear that my voice sounds a bit weird like this. I feel like I look like a Halloween store's slutty Bane costume. 

Thua'ste clicks approvingly though, seemingly enjoying the sight of me all decked out. "Good, everything fits well." He comments. 

I smile under the mask, hoping he can see it from my eyes. I'm very grateful for all the work he did and that he took the time to teach me. It does feel good and honorable to wear something that you made. 

"Put on your boots and meet me at the ship's entrance when you are ready. I'll brief you about the creatures when you arrive." Thua'ste tells me and I nod my head. 

Thua'ste kept the briefing short. He told me about the important aliens on this planet and what to look out for. First are the Uzaus, sneaky winged aliens that hide in the trees till you pass, they are small but they attack in groups and have razor-sharp nails. Second, are the Kik'Uiks, they are large and bulky, but surprisingly fast and territorial, kinda like hippos. Third, are the Xescaxs, giant spider-like creatures that have the mouth and bite of a crocodile, they mostly come out at night to hunt so hopefully I won't encounter any.  
And last but certainly not least, the Sceks. Near extinct, they are extremely hard to find, and if you do succeed they put up quite a fight. Their long, white hides cover their huge bodies everywhere expect on their muscled, spiky tail. From the way Thua'ste described them they sound like mutated dire wolfs. 

When I'm finally outside, it's quite breathtaking. Thua'ste has the ship in a clearing, the edge of the woods super close by. The grass that covers the ground is so short that it looks like the fake ones that they use on soccer fields, the trees are insanely tall and their bark is pitch black, the leaves that dangle from the many twisting branches vary from bright pink to familiar dark green.  
Even as I walk between the trees with Thua'ste by my side, it feels unreal. 

"It looks so pretty." I tell him, glancing at his covered face. 

"Most dangerous things do." He quips, making me chuckle.

The air is a bit cold against my skin, but it doesn't feel that unpleasant. The sunsets and rises in a similar cycle as earth's, the morning red currently still visible in the sky. It's so unusually quiet here that I'm a bit creeped out. 

"Are you going to look for a Scek again today?" I ask as I follow Thua'ste closely, carefully stepping over fallen branches. 

"I am. I'm confident it will take the bait." He answers. 

I keep my eyes at where my feet step as I talk. "What bait did you put?" 

"A dying Kik'Uik, its blood and cries should draw it out." He tells me, sounding confident in his method. 

Seeing that they are canine-like creatures this should work pretty well, but since he hasn't even spotted it yet something must be off. 

"Do they hunt in packs? And have you seen any leftovers of their prey?" I ask curiously. 

"No, they hunt alone, and yes I have seen some." Thua'ste answers as he stands still for a second to look at his wrist gauntlet. 

I stand next to him, curiously glancing at the screen "What did they leave?" 

He turns his head towards me now, abandoning the task on his gauntlet. "Legs, scraps of meat, parts of the head. Why?"

I pull at my skirt, reassuring that it's still in place as I think. "It's being sloppy with its food, so it's clearly not going hungry." 

"It still should be interested in easy prey when it presents itself." Thua'ste says as he starts walking again. 

I attempt to keep up with him as he picks up speed. "I agree." 

My mind races past possibilities. Could it be that the Kik'Uiks he placed were sick? That would definitely be a reason for the Scek to stay away if he can smell it, but I doubt that Thua'ste would not have noticed that. As I'm mauling over the option of sickness stench, it suddenly hits me. 

"You smear some gel-like substance on your blades before every hunt, right?" I ask, remembering that I've seen him do it when I was able to peek into his weaponry. 

"Yes, I coat them in Xenomorph bone marrow paste, it protects them against acidic substances. Why?" He clicks lowly at the realization that I spied on him, but he can't really say anything since he does it to me as well.

"Perhaps it smells it in the wounds of the Kik'Uik. It's a foreign, probably pungent smell to the Scek, it won't eat it out of precaution if it has other options." I tell him. 

Thua'ste stills, turning around to face me. I almost walk into him thanks to his sudden stop. 

"That does sound plausible. How do you know this?" He questions me, stepping closer. 

I frown at him. I had told him weeks ago that I worked with canines for as long as I can remember. My dad had a dog training company since long before I was born, he involved me in it since a young age and after his passing, I dropped everything to take it over. I followed in his footsteps and trained dogs for several levels of law enforcement, including the Military police, that's how I had met Connor, to begin with.  
Did all this information seriously slip Thua'ste's mind?!

"Remember I told you that I trained dogs? That I took over my dad's company?" I ask and don't try to hide my irritated tone. 

He stays quiet for a minute as he digs for the memory. "I do now. You told me that the same day that you showed me what humans call a 'blowjob', correct?" He finally says.

My cheeks flare-up, completely caught off guard. I huff and cross my arms. "That is correct, but what does that have to do with it?!"

Thua'ste trills at the memory. "My mind did not have its usual sharpness after that." 

I roll my eyes at him but the heat in my face stays. From one side I'm flattered that he enjoyed it that much, but I'm mostly irritated that such important information slipped his mind. 

"Anyways, do you have any clean weapons with you?" I ask him, changing the subject back to the hunt. 

He nods his head and points at the gun like thing mounted on his shoulder. "Yes, I'll use my plasmacaster." He tells me and we set out to get some new bait. 

I cover my ears, cringing at the loud shrieks of the Kik'Uik as Thua'ste lays it out in a tiny clearing. The wounded creature thrashes lightly on the ground, blackish blood violently seeping from the hole in its stomach. I feel myself growing a bit nauseous at the combination of the high-pitched cries and the sharp smell of its blood, the way it stings the inside of my nose reminding me of bleach. 

Thua'ste picks me up, swiftly moving to a tree and sitting us down on a high branch. It's still incredible how fast he moves and how effortlessly high he jumps. He presses a finger to my mask, signaling me to be quiet as he watches the clearing beneath us intently. I nod my head, my eyes following his gaze to where the Kik'Uik is bleeding out. 

I feel my hands getting clammy as I hold onto the rough bark of the tree, minutes passing as the only sound in the forest is the cries of the dying creature. My heart beats rapidly in my chest, anxiety and fear racing through my body.

I notice Thua'ste shifting his position slightly before cracking branches are heard close by. I watch wide-eyed as a creature appears from between the trees, sharp, yellowed teeth bared as it approaches the Kik'Uik, who's panicked cries increase. Its hight seems to slightly exceed Thua'ste's, the sun reflecting off its white locks and muscled tail swaying slightly behind it. It's the Scek, there's no doubt about it. 

Thua'ste looks ready to pounce at any second, his gaze glued on the Scek. The creature sniffs the air, long snout twitching before it starts to growl. Within a second, its on top of the Kik'Uik, one paw pressing the creature's head down as it effortlessly rips through its throat. I observe the ordeal, shocked at the Scek's bite force, almost severing the head completely from the body with one bite. Sniffing the air again, it suddenly snaps its head up, looking right at where we are sitting in the tree. I feel ice run through my veins as its intense purple gaze locks onto mine before it seeks out Thua'ste. Seems like it killed the Kik'Uik so swiftly to signal that it was his prey, but it seems to be challenging us regardless. 

I swallow harshly, clinging to the tree harder as I have no desire to go down there, but for Thua'ste it's the opposite. He jumps down swiftly, roaring at the Scek as he takes on a dominant pose, mandibles clicking loudly and chest puffed out. The challenge has been accepted. 

**\---------------------------------------------------------------------**

Thua'ste feels thrilled, adrenaline pumping through his veins as he and the Scek circle each other. The creature dwarfs him slightly, but he doesn't care, the only thing on his mind is how he will sever its skull from the rest. Meanwhile, Lilly stays up in the tree, her anxiety only continuing to rise. 

The Scek jumps forward, sharp claws extended to grab onto Thua'ste. Dodging it, he extends his wristblades as the creature prepares for a second pounce. As the Scek moves to throw him down again, Thua'ste rolls away slightly, staying crouched as he drags the blades over its belly as it moves over him. The Scek cries out in pain, but the cuts were too shallow, seeing that none of its organs are pooling out. Thua'ste roars at it, irritated when the creature attempts to start its circling game again. He had tasted the thrill of the hunt, and now he wanted more. 

Lilly looks on worriedly as the fight does not seem to be progressing as swiftly as she hoped for. Thua'ste gets cuts in on the Scek, but they are all too shallow. When he shoots his plasmagun the creature is too fast to get a good hit on it. A shocked gasp escapes her mouth as the Scek's giant maul wraps around Thua'ste's shoulder. She is sure that this is the end of at least his arm but instead cries out lowly as he pierces the creature's neck with his twin blades, ripping it off of him. The Scek falls against the floor, waves of red blood gushing out of the gashes, staining its white fur. Neon green blood seeps from several pierced spots and cuts on Thua'ste's shoulder and left arm, but they seem to be intact. 

Sighing in relief, Lilly believes the battle to be over, but the Scek gets up again, far less stable but clearly intending to drag its opponent down with it. Before Lilly can spend time worrying about it, she hears a sharp hissing close to her. She looks for the source of the sound and finds a bright pink snake that's about the size of her arm that's sliding down the tree towards her. Thua'ste hadn't mentioned these creatures to her, but she knows it's probably not a good idea to wait and see what it does. Trying not to look below, Lilly starts to climb down. She hoped that she would be fine a few branches down, but the snake follows her, its intend becoming more clear as it bares its two long fangs as it effortlessly slithering along the bark. 

The battle rages on below Lilly. Thua'ste shoots off one of the Scek's hind legs, but it continues its desperate attacks. Seeing that the snake is constantly right above her, Lilly keeps on climbing down, hoping that the other creature will be dead by the time she reaches the ground. Sweat covers her skin, heart hammering in her chest as fear washes over her. When she's about 8 feet from the grass, her feet slip and she falls down. The branches that she passes scrape against her skin, leaving tiny cuts along her arms and legs. Lilly yelps out as she harshly lands on the ground, her ankle twisting upon impact. 

Her whimpering quickly quiets as she sees what's in front of her through teary eyes, back pressing against the tree as she tries to back up as much as she can. The Scek is right in front of her, breathing harshly as it turns around to face her. The blood seeping from its neck has covered its fur all the way to its front paw and drips onto the grass with thick splats. Lilly screams for Thua'ste as the creature closes in on her. When it's within reach, she desperately kicks the side of its head before quickly retracting her leg again. This doesn't seem to do anything besides enrage the Scek more. It opens its maul attack Lilly, but just as it does Thua'ste jumps onto its back. He pierces its chest with one of the expandable spears from his weapon belts as he lands, delivering the finishing blow. 

Lilly watches in horror as the creature's eyes widen, violet orbs staring into hers before it drops down death. Her body shakes violently as she looks up at Thua'ste, who's chest is rising repeatedly as he huffs. He pulls the spear out of the Scek's back, pressing a button to make it retract before placing it back in its strap. 

"Oh my god, I-I ." Lilly mumbles out, voice shaking through her mask. 

She's confused at Thua'ste's silence as he grabs onto the creature's fur and drags it away from her. She crawls forward to get further away from the tree, remembering the snake in it. Her right ankle throbs painfully and she strokes at it, sitting on the grass. 

"Thua'ste?" Lilly calls out to him, but he stays with his back turned to her. He stands near the Scek, chest still rapidly rising and she wonders if it's because he's badly hurt. 

Thua'ste is grateful that Lilly cannot read his thoughts. His whole body tenses at the strong smell of her, overshadowing all of the blood around them, her fear wavering thick around her. He balls his left fist, purposely increasing the pain on the injured arm so he can hold himself back. He turns around, but as soon as he does he knows that it was a mistake. Lilly sits there meekly rubbing her ankle, sweat, and dirt covering her skin and several spots scraped up. Her teary eyes lock onto his beneath his helmet and he feels himself overtaken by primal desire. 

The animalistic side in Thua'ste takes central stage. The need to ravish her helpless form overtaking his senses. Lilly looks at him with questioning eyes as he slowly approaches her. 

"Are you alright? Your shoulder is bleeding pretty badly." She asks.

Confusion shows on her delicate face as Thua'ste crouches down in front of her and grabs onto her legs. He forces her onto her stomach without a warning, making her cry out. She struggles against the dirt and grass under her as he grabs onto her hips, forcing them up for him. 

"Thua'ste! What are you doing?!" Lilly yells at him.

"You smell incredible." Thua'ste answers, voice sounding incredibly strained. 

He lifts the skirt up over her ass, exposing her to him as he roughly palms her soft flesh in his claws. She struggles against his grip but winces as the weight of his body pressing down on her makes her ankle hurt a lot. 

"Please, not now. I'm hurt, you're hurt." Lilly says weakly, but her protests fall on deaf ears. 

Thua'ste shoves his crotch armor and loincloth out of the way, impatiently pressing the tip of his cock against her tight entrance. Her scent is absolutely intoxicating, her weak body so obedient under the force of his. The ecstasy of a successful hunt combined with the thought of taking her for his pleasure is driving him feral, not thinking about her discomfort. 

Lilly cries out in pain as Thua'ste attempts to penetrate her without any preparation. Pleas for him to wait fall from her lips but its no help. He lifts his helmet so he can spit on his hand, making her cringe when he lubricates her with it. 

"We can do it, just be patient please." Lilly attempts again but he silences her with a loud snarl. 

She realizes that this is his animalistic side, instincts clearly overruling any sensible thoughts. She shouldn't be surprised, she knew very well that this would never be the same as being with a human male. It's such a stark contrast to his normal behavior that its almost hard to believe that this is the same Thua'ste. Lilly whimpers weakly, forehead pressing against the dirt as he carelessly presses into her, roaring loudly as he fills her channel in one thrust. 

Thua'ste instantly starts rutting into her, loving how her cunt seems to have taken on his form after their endless sexual encounters. His cock slams deep into her at a fast pace, the ridges on it dragging past all the spots that make her mewl. It doesn't take long till Lilly gets slick, allowing him to sink into her heat easier. The sound of her moans together with the way her cunt squelches with every thrust only spurs him on more. 

Braced against the ground, Lilly's hands dig into it as she attempts to hold herself together. Being taken by Thua'ste right here, in this way, should absolutely disgust her, yet her lower body fills with delicious heat regardless. Her head spins from the way he thrusts into her with such ferocious need, cunt clenching around him repeatedly. Everything about this is absolutely feral and it's driving her over the edge faster than she would ever admit.

One of Thua'ste's claws holds onto her hand, fingers intertwining with hers. Lilly mewls at the gentle action in the middle of their animalistic fucking. She cries out loudly after another sharp thrust of his hips, her walls clenching and contracting around his cock. Her grip is so tight and his need is so high that he feels his orgasm wash over him immediately. 

"Take my seed." Thua'ste snarls into her ear as he bends himself over her body, pressing her down harshly. 

His name leaves Lilly's lips like a chant as he stills, shooting his hot cum deep inside of her. He feels her shiver under him, continuing to moan as he empties himself in her. His free claw moves to stroke over her abdomen, feeling the slight bulge of his cock through her skin. At this moment he couldn't care less what she is, staying pressed inside her with full intend to breed her. 

"Thua'ste." Lilly mewls out again, rubbing her ass against his pelvis so his cock grinds against her sensitive walls. 

Thua'ste lets go of her hand, grabbing onto her chin so he can turn her face for him to see. Her eyes are glazed over, cheeks flushed, and her brown curls frame her face messily. The way she looks at him combined with the how she grinds back on him makes her look like a bitch in heat, and even with a mind that's clearing up, it makes Thua'ste's cock twitch inside her. She's worth the trouble, he's more convinced of that than ever before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will take a little longer, seeing that I’m dealing with some stuff in my personal life. I hope you all understand ♥️


	16. Our future

When my mind had cleared of the haze of lust, my ankle felt in worse shape than before. Thua'ste had picked me up without a word, letting me hang over his shoulder as he strained to drag the Scek behind him with his other arm. It was his fault for pushing me against the ground that hard, my ankle had turned an ugly purple right afterwards so I felt it was justified that he had to carry me. The wounds on his left shoulder and the top of his arm bled badly from the pressure he put on it from dragging the Scek with him, which seemed extremely heavy. Even though I had felt less pity than I normally would have, I offered to walk. Thua'ste had of course been too stubborn to accept, growling at me that I would be unbearably slow, so I dropped it. He didn't make a noise the whole trip back to the ship, his slightly labored breathing the only sign of his body's exhaustion. 

Once we were back, Thua'ste had hastily ran a bath and and ordered me to undress. This was not a relaxed soaking like usual, instead once I was in he pushed me under the water like I was being baptized. It was clear that we both had to clean off the surface level dirt quickly. Once I was clean he quickly did the process to himself. I had waited for him, resting on the bed till he was done and had gotten his medicine. 

I had to smear this purplish gel all over Thua'ste's wounds, he didn't flinch even when my fingers would dip into the broken flesh. His green blood together with the gel felt insanely thick and clumped on my fingers as I continued to apply it until he had told me to stop. Once left alone, the purple goo had hardened unbelievably fast. Thua'ste had looked relieved, the wounds closed off like there was a second skin covering them. 

The scratches and tiny cuts on me didn't require the gel, once the dirt was off they were barely noticeable anymore. My ankle however, had been a different story. It had grown swollen and the color darkened more by the minute. I was fairly sure it was broken because the pain was excruciating.  
Thua'ste had felt around it carefully which made me scream into my hand with every touch. After a quick scan he had confirmed that it was broken and got the tools he deemed necessary. First, he stuck a metal pen-like thing against my ankle, which made tears stream down my face as a needle shot out of it and filled my veins with stinging fluid. After that he had bound several layers of closely knit netting fabric around it and told me it would heal in a few days.

Once again Thua’ste had made the switch from primal and rough to caring and semi gentle. I felt myself welcome it without a second thought, everything he did felt right even when it was wrong. It’s shameful how quickly I give in to his whims, but I cannot manage to do more than force out some objections. In previous relationships I had never been the type to shut up and take it, unless sex was involved, and now I forget to stay angry for more than an hour. He makes me behave in ways that are foreign to me, yet I don’t completely hate it.

My ankle felt numb for a whole day and I had trouble walking, but it was healing insanely fast. When I took off the brace on the second day, it looked like nothing had happened. Thua’ste’s wounds however, were healing slowly because of their depth and signs of broad scars were starting to show. Not that he cared, if anything he was proud to have some new marks. This hunt had been a great victory for him, he had dissected the Scek’s head with care and feasted one its flesh like it was some world renowned steak. Even though it had been scary and painful, I didn’t regret joining him. He had saved me from the Scek, which made my trust blossom. That together with a spectacular show of how intensely he desired me, and discovering a new planet, made it a pretty memorable day.

It has been three days since the hunt. Thua’ste has been pacing around nervously all day and its rubbing off on me. Today he is supposed to get news from his brother, about what he has not shared with me yet. The sky is already turning pinkish red, the sun setting as I approach him in the control room. The back of the captains chair is turned to me, a bright, empty screen being casted above the panels in front of him. I watch him with furrowed brows as I approach his side. Thua’ste’s arms are crossed, face hard as stone as he stares in front of him. 

“Are you sure he’ll call today? He might have been delayed.” I ask carefully. 

He growls, shaking his head. “Vain-bhihre always keeps his word. The sun cycle is different on Yautja prime, you can sleep if you wish.” 

I take hold of Thua’ste’s arms, uncrossing them and taking place in his lap. He sighs as I lean back against his chest. 

“I have a feeling that this news will involve me. If you don’t mind I’d like to hear it.” I tell him before I grace my lips against his rough neck. 

I feel his muscles tense under me as he clicks slowly. 

“I don’t, but you might not like what he has to say.” He tells me. 

“Probably, but that has never stopped me before.” I reply, lips curling into a smile against his skin.

Thua’ste takes my chin into his hand, pulling me away to looks at him. I can see his want, but the stress on his features is overwhelming. His mandibles close more than usual and when they do they are clamped down tightly.

“You already got what you wanted.” He says, letting go off my chin.

I’m hurt at his implication. Sure, I have used sex as leverage in the past, but there have been plenty of times where I have given myself to him for no other reason besides wanting to. 

“I have not. I touch you because I want _you_.” I tell him with a frown. 

His eyes seem mistrusting as they move over my face. I hadn’t expected him to feel insecure about this. I had been telling myself since the beginning that all he desired of me was sex, yet here he was refusing it for not being genuine. I can’t help but feel a little happy.

“I will have to return to my clan sooner or later, and when I do, I want to take you with me. Will you accept them ordering you on how to live?” Thua’ste asks me as he urges me to sit differently, straddling him as I face him instead. 

“Is that the news you are waiting for? Them deciding how I can live there?” I question.

He shakes his head, claws rubbing over my hips. “No. I have asked my brother to find out if others have brought humans or non-yautjas as mates, to make sure you will not be harmed upon arrival. However, even if they have, they could still deem you not equal and you will be seen as my slave.” 

I tense up at his words, anxiety coursing through my body. “They will still see me like that, even when I’m your mate?” 

Thua’ste nods his head, eyes soft as he recognizes the hurt on my face. “They might not, but it is likely. To us a mate is someone who we procreate with, no feelings are linked to it.” 

“What happens if you get tired of me?” I ask him, unsure on how to feel. 

“I doubt that I will ever grow tired of you.” Thua’ste tells me.

I chuckle sadly. “If you do plan to keep me, my body will grow old while you stay like this. I doubt you will be into that.” 

“You have many moons left.” He responds, which isn’t very comforting.

I chew the inside of my left cheek as I try to process what he’s asking of me, or more accurately demanding. I knew I would not return to earth, but the prospect of staying with Thua’ste and even having his children is still a shocking thought. I have always wanted children, but I expected it to be with my husband or wife. Now I would be stepmom to tens of children and have my own with a man that I’m unsure of if he can or will ever give me what I wanted. With a man who I doubt will ever truly love me. Tears swell in my eyes as I’m unable to push them down. 

“Does that distraught you so greatly?” Thua’ste asks me. 

I wipe the spilling tears away from my cheeks, trying to put a stop to them as soon as possible. “It’s just very different from what I had planned.” 

He nods his head, moving one of his claws from my hips to cup my face. “I understand. It’s different for me as well.” 

I sigh, breath shakily coming out as I gather myself. I place my hands on his shoulders, hoping that if I have more physical grip the emotional will come next. 

“Will you have other women?” I question as my eyes lock onto his.

“No, I know that it would make you unhappy. I hope you are aware that I do not live to cause you pain.” Thua’ste answers to my surprise. 

I smile at him, my tears having dried up. “I know. I doubt I would’ve still been alive or at least in one piece if I was in the hands of another Yautja.” 

He chuckles. “You would be missing a finger or two probably.”

I look back at the still empty screen. “Your brother better have some good news.” I say anxiously. 

This prospect was quite something, but if it wasn’t an option at all I’m not sure what Thua’ste would do. It would probably not be any more favorable for me. Groaning, he caresses my face before pulling away to type something into the panel. I feel my face paling as I see that he’s calling his brother, our image appearing on the screen as it rings on the other end. I quickly turn myself around and attempt to leave, but he keeps me on one of his knees.  
Vain-bhihre picks up fast and I awkwardly stare at the Yautja. I feel like a deer in headlights as he looks me and Thua’ste over disapprovingly, snarling. 

“Hello brother. Have you found the information I requested?” Thua’ste asks with no hesitation, his patience clearly gone. 

Vain-bhihre chooses to ignore me, nodding his head at his brother. “I have. T’uanke has taken an Inet as his mate, Ve’ten took a Hovin a century ago and that’s all current divergents I could find. There have been humans in the past, but all have perished and I could only find information on one.” He pauses, making both me and Thua’ste shift in anticipation.  
“An elder called Cikou took a human as his mate three centuries ago. She bared him three children of which only one survived their Chiva. The human died of a Diphtheria infection before her 40th year.” He continues. 

Well that’s a bit grim, but if I’m understanding this right I will be allowed to live with their clan. I turn my head to see Thua’ste’s face, but he isn’t letting any emotion show. 

“Cikou is still alive, or am I mistaking?” He asks.

Vain-bhihre nods his head again. “You are correct, brother. He is currently on Planterra for a solo hunt.” 

Thua’ste clicks his mandibles, seemingly pleased with the information. “I will meet with him there then.” 

Seemingly alarmed, Vain-bhihre quickly speaks up. “I will travel there too. Our last joined hunt has been too long ago.” 

Thua’ste mauls it over before answering. “Very well. Me and Lilly should be there within two weeks.” 

At the mention of my name Vain-bhihre’s eyes move to me again. He still does not seem pleased in the slightest, but now that Thua’ste knows that its allowed he seems keen on not hiding me anymore. 

“See you soon, brother.” Is all Vain-bhihre says before ending the call. 

Thua’ste effortlessly turns me back around on his lap, the gold of his eyes having a shimmer to them in the light of the sunset. I think he’s pleased, this answer is the best we could’ve hoped for. 

“You seem happy.” I tell him.

He trills softly, mandibles spread. “I am. I can take you with me now.” 

One of his claws goes to the back of my neck, pulling my face closer to his. My lips brush past one of his mandibles as I try to keep some distance. 

“I have some questions.” I say, putting my hands against his chest to put more space between us.

Thua’ste frowns. He’s eager to touch me and my rejection is frustrating him. 

“First, why do you want to go to where the other Yautja is?” I ask.

“To hear what the living circumstances are for humans within my clan.” He answers.

I nod my head. “Alright. Before you told me you didn’t want children with me because humans are weak and all that, so what changed?”

His free claw moves to grab onto my ass, dragging me onto his crotch. “I reconsidered. I have already proven myself able to father many warriors, the expand of my family tree is honorable to my clan. Our children will be... Extras.” 

I angrily push myself away from him, swatting at his hands to get them off of me in disgust. 

“You are horrible!” I scream at him as I free myself from his grip. 

Thua’ste looks at me in confusion, chasing after me with big strides as I storm out into the hallway. He catches my shoulder with his hand but I pull away roughly. 

“Don't touch me!” I yell as I turn to face him.

I’m livid. Him talking down on me and my kind had never been pleasant, but this is different. Our children are nothings to him even long before they are born. 

“I thought you would be happy that there is no pressure on you to birth strong warriors.” He tells me, looking irritated as he clearly doesn’t understand the issue.

“Wow Thua’ste, thank you so much.” I reply sarcastically, continuing to avoid his touches. 

“I don’t understand.” Thua’ste simply says as he catches my wrist in his hand, gripping it tightly so I can’t escape. 

I shake my head furiously. “What kind of mother would I be if I had children knowing that their father will not give a shit about them?! It might be different for Yautjas, but I’d rather die!” 

“What gives you the illusion that you have a choice?! I thought I had been clear.” He screams at me, his painful grip on my wrist paling in comparison to the stinging in my chest. 

I try my best to keep my voice steady while not allowing the tears that are welling up to fall. “In that case, why not just wear me out, get all the pleasure you can get from me and then kill me?! Clearly me thinking that you care about me as a person was an illusion!” 

Hurt shows in his eyes, his face paling slightly as his spread mandibles twitch. I’m tired of this game, I’m ready for it to end. 

“It would be wise to stay silent now.” Thua’ste tells me.

I huff. “Yes it would be, but I don’t care. Hurt me if you want, shit, kill me if you want, I’m done.” I know what I’m saying is stupid and barely makes sense, but I can’t stop the words from coming out.

He pulls me closer by my wrist, snarling. I can feel his ragged breath on my face as he stares at me. 

“You are still as stupid as the first time I met you!” He tells me, loud voice echoing through the hallways. I want to insult him back, but he continues before I get the chance. “You are a stubborn, unpredictable, human who has no clue what’s good for her!”

His breath continues growing erratic as he stays silent for a bit. The look on his face makes me keep quiet, its so intense that I’m curious what he will say next.

“Yet, from all the humans I have met during my travels you are the one I want. My gods must have made a mistake, because no matter how hard I try I cannot pull myself away from you.” He says, breaking his silence.

The tears I was holding back start rolling down my cheeks as relief washes over me, the intensity of it surprising me. “You confuse me.” Is all I manage to force out. 

“And you confuse me.” He tells me as he pulls me against him. 

I sob softly against his chest, his strong arms cradling me. He sighs loudly, still breathing weirdly. I think this must have been hard for him to say.

“Now please stop changing your mind every few minutes.” He mumbles, making me laugh a little through my crying. 

I look up at him. “I will, if you tell me you’ll care.” 

He nods his head, trilling softly. “They will be part of you, it would be impossible for me not to care.” 

I let out a sigh of relief, letting my shoulders slump as the tension starts leaving my body. Thua’ste’s words are genuine, I can feel it. I just wish he would’ve started with them. 

“When it happens, I’ll accept it.” I tell him, but I pray that it will not be any time soon. 

He seems pleased with my answer as his breathing calms down, arms staying wrapped around me tightly. 

It seems like the universe was on my side. I started my period two days after me and Thua’ste’s fight. He had been extremely frustrated at first, being under the false impression that after it my ‘heat’ would be gone for months, but he had perked right up again when he found out that after a week I would be good to go. That week turned out to feel more like a month, no pain medication available to calm my cramps. I felt happy that he had long gauzes that I could use as pads, and he did cuddle me now and then but he disliked being in bed all day. Even with all the pain, I felt happy to have confirmation that I was not pregnant. 

Thua’ste and I have been able to communicate more honestly as well. He drops his tough act regularly and makes me feel more loved than I had ever dreamed of when I had awoken on this ship. In return I tell him clearly what bothers me and why I change my mind on certain things so he can understand me better. I feel like our ‘relationship’ is becoming healthier, as much as it can within this situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel like this chapter sucks but hope you guys like it! :’))


	17. Planterra

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **WARNING**  
>  This chapter contains explicit sexual content

We are a day away from Planterra, which turned out to be a planet very close to earth. From what Thua’ste told me, Vain-Bhihre was on course to arrive the same day, having taken one of the fastest ships of their fleet and Cikou had been informed of their visit. All the pieces are in place for our arrival.

I stare out of the large windows at the front of the ship, the chair feeling cold against my skin as I’m still naked after sneaking out of bed. The familiar blue and green globe seems to taunt me the longer I look at it, so close yet so far. 

“Missing your human lovers?” Thua’ste asks from behind me, making me jump. 

I turn the chair around to face him, savoring the view of his bare body. His wounds have scarred over completely and I can’t deny it looks great on him, only adding to his rough appearance. 

“Jealousy doesn’t suit you.” I say teasingly and smirk at him. 

He laughs in response, casting a look at the view behind me before his eyes rest on me again. “I’m well aware that they are no match, yet I still wonder why you are here instead of beside me in bed.” 

“I am being sentimental over what I had, but not the lovers.” I tell him.

“So there were multiple?” He asks, clearly not jealous but happy to taunt me. 

I slide down in the chair, exposing my body to him in a more flattering manner, his eyes instantly drawn to it. “Oh yeah, I think I lost count.” I quip back. 

His eyes narrow slightly at that, apparently feeling a little possessive after all. “Is that so?” He asks, pulling me up from the chair within a second. I giggle as he sits down on it instead, legs spread and leaning his head nonchalantly against one of his fists. 

I lick my lips, wetting them in anticipation. Seems like I’m getting a perfect way to distract myself from my old life. “It may or may not be true, which one will get you to fuck me harder?” 

Thua’ste groans as I sit down in between his legs, tracing my finger over the slit of his sheath. “You have grown bold.” He tells me.

I smile up at him while giving him the most erotic look I can muster as I move to lick over his sheath. He shivers underneath me and I feel it starting to open, my tongue eagerly encouraging his emerging length in response. Two of my fingers run along the edges of his sheath, the surface smooth with his natural lubrication. I feel his cock rub against my cheek, already hot and hard. My eyes meet his as I lick his shaft from the base to the tip, making sure to take my time to get there before circling the sensitive head. 

One of Thua’ste’s claws grabs onto the chair’s armrest as the other tangles in my hair, gripping the long locks tightly. “Some of your human rituals are quite pleasant.” 

“Just pleasant?” I ask, quirking an eyebrow at him. 

Eager to get a more honest reaction, I take his cock into my mouth, the first few inches already badly stretching my cheeks. I’ve had some practice by now, but his girth and length still make it feel impossible every time. 

“Fuck, Lilly...” He curses out as my tongue rubs against the underside of his cock while I suck it. 

I look up at him innocently, continuing to work my mouth up and down not even half of his length. 

He looks at me knowingly, hand on my head pushing it down eagerly. “You know you give me unmatched pleasure.” 

My cunt clenches around nothing at his praise and the way he looks at me with his signature animalistic need. I try my best to accommodate his cock as he slides it to the back of my throat, keeping our eye contact even as tears prick at the edge of my eyes. He purrs loudly as he guides my head up and down, making me blush as the sounds my sucking makes grow louder. I feel my wetness starting to coat my thighs as he continues to use my mouth. Everything from his eyes, his groans, his grip to his taste drive me crazy for more. 

“Kneeling in front of me with your mouth stuffed full of my cock suits you.” Thua’ste says, as he pushes and pulls on my head, increasing in speed.

I mewl around his cock, bringing one of my hands up to stroke the inches that I can’t fit into my mouth. It surprises me every time with how heavy it feels, like he has been turned on for hours without any release. The taste of his precum hits my tongue, way tangier than a human's but not unpleasant at all. The ridges along the underside of his cock start to pulse lightly, groans telling me he's close. Moving my hand faster, I hollow my cheeks as much as possible to suck harder around him, his cock twitching in response. 

Suddenly, Thua'ste snaps his hips forward, forcing me to take all of him into my throat. I gag, tears quickly forming and falling as he keeps my head in place, my nose touching his pelvis. Hot spurts of cum fill my throat as he comes, leaving me with no choice but to swallow it. I feel my throat burn, unable to relax around his pulsing length, but he gives me no mercy. Cursing loudly, his grip on my head is relentless as he is adamant to make me swallow every drop. It shouldn't take me by surprise anymore, this is how it ends almost every time. Even though it's rough and uncomfortable, I feel the slick coating my thighs only increasing as he uses my mouth. 

When he's finished, he pulls my mouth off of his cock with a pop, leaving me gasping for air. The side of my face is pressed against his cock, the mixture of my saliva and his cum sticking to my skin. He holds me there until I have taken enough breaths to lick him clean, and I do so eagerly. I look up at him with begging eyes as I move my tongue along every ridge and inch, enjoying the way his cum makes it tingle slightly. Dominance oozes from him as his eyes never leave me, only making me beg for his attention more. 

"Tell me what you want." Thua'ste demands cockily. 

I stand up, a little shakily, so I can straddle him. I moan lewdly as his cock slides through my wet folds when I straddle him, still hard and pulsing even after cumming. 

"I want your cock inside of me." I tell him as I press sloppy kisses along his neck.

I feel his muscles shift under my hands as I place them on his chest, keeping myself steady to grind down onto him. The head of his cock bumps against my entrance, making me shiver before he pulls away. 

"It was inside of your mouth." He says, grabbing my hair again to yank my head back. His mandibles scrape against the sensitive skin carefully before his long tongue slides along it.  
I move my heat along his length desperately, a blush spreading on my face. "Please Thua'ste, I want your cock to fill my cunt." 

He grunts loudly, the hand in my hair not moving while the other finds its way to my hip. When he feels my entrance glide over his tip, he slams me down onto him without warning. I cry out from the sudden intrusion, nails digging into his skin uselessly. He keeps my neck bend, his tongue continuing to flick and lap at it as he sets an instant brutal pace. I roll my hips to match it, already feeling delirious with pleasure. With every upwards thrust he fills me completely, wet slaps resonating throughout the room. The way he pulls my hair and teases my neck make me clench around his thick member. He has always been in control, but right now he is displaying it fully. The hand on my hip digs into the soft mount roughly, the pleasure overshadowing the pain of it. I moan loudly for him with every drag of his cock against my walls and it quickly gets overwhelming.

I scream out his name as my orgasm takes me by surprise, hips stuttering. Thua'ste curses, accidentally flexing his mandibles and causing them to break the skin on my neck. I barely even notice the pinching feeling, so focussed on him. Too close to care as well, his thrusts continue growing harder and erratic. 

He pulls my head back harshly, making me arch my back further. "Cum again with me." He growls, clearly not requesting but demanding.

I feel my throat sting as I let out a string of loud moans, his cock hitting so deep and against all the right spots. My body seems to oblige immediately, the delicious tension in my abdomen building fast. 

"Thua'ste! I-" I try to warn him but cry out instead as I cum around his cock, walls clamping down tightly. 

Thua'ste doesn't seem to mind the timing, giving a few more fast thrusts before joining me. I feel warmth flowing through me as he fills me with his cum. His hand releases my hair before both of them grab onto my ass. His claws dig into the flesh roughly, pushing me down on his cock. I whine and mewl from the feeling of him continuing to push, all of him is already inside me but the friction makes me see stars, cunt so sensitive from my orgasms. 

"You're so good to me." He purrs into my ear as he moves my head to rest on his shoulder. 

I can't get a word out through my ragged breathing. The way he keeps his cock inside of me while he strokes over my ass isn't helping. 

"They definitely are no match." I manage to say after a minute, coming back to what he said earlier. 

Thua'ste clicks his mandibles shortly and I feel his chest slightly puff out. I have to smile at how his body reacts whenever he feels proud, I suppose his big echo has its perks. 

"What was your actual reason for coming here?" He asks, switching to a more serious tone than before. 

I look up at him, feeling a little flustered. "Uhm, can you take it out before we talk about that?"

He chuckles at my awkwardness but obliges nonetheless. I do my best to ignore the feeling of his cum leaking out of me, wanting the lust gone before I share my thoughts. 

"There." He says amusedly, eyes catching onto mine at every opportunity.

I'm happy that he wants to know what goes on in my head even if he doesn't always understand it. It's good that we've gotten to the point where in most cases we can accept each other's differences and support them. 

"It's just... ever since you told me how close Planterra is to earth I have been thinking about home a lot." I tell him with a sigh. 

He trills, moving one of his claws to stroke my hair, which has become a habit of his when comforting me. "You still call it home."

I avert my eyes from his. He doesn't seem mad, but I'm aware that it bothers him. I called earth home without thinking about it, an old habit more than anything. At this point it feels more like a past life, or like it was a dream and this was always reality. 

"My home is with you now, but earth will always be a part of me. You know I have too many memories there." I tell him, my fingers, still resting against his chest, softly tapping on his green skin. 

"I know. Do you worry still?" Thua'ste asks me.  
I bite my lip. I had shared all my worries with him previously. About my mother's wellbeing, about my dad's and mine's old business, whether my brother was stepping in to pick up the pieces, and all other fun thoughts. 

I nod my head. "I do. Now I'm closer to them it weighs on me heavier. It's hard to not have any control over the situation nor a clue on what's actually going on."

His free claw moves up so he can slide one of his fingers over my forehead, making me notice I was frowning. 

"Your brain works too hard on irrelevant things, and too little on important ones." He says with a smug look, knowing what kind of reaction he'll get out of me. 

I huff, shaking my head. "I'll let you know that that is in fact very human."

"Exactly." He shoots back instantly. 

I narrow my eyes before laughing, giving his chest a playful punch.

"Come to me next time your human brain is being stupid again, and don't ever punch another Yautja on their chest." Thua'ste says, looking very serious.

I quit laughing and nod. "Of course, to both. Is a chest punch insulting?"

Thua'ste's face clears up, his playfulness returning. "It's seen as a challenge. Unless that's what you were trying to do?" His claw catches onto my chin as he speaks. 

I blush deeply, looking at the desire in his eyes blooming up again. "You are insatiable."

One of his fingers moves to caress my bottom lip, the soft but sensual touch making me shiver. "Correct." He purrs lowly. 

An hour is left before the ship will touch the ground of Planterra, and I'm only slightly a nervous wreck. Not only will I meet an elder, which is a high and well-respected position to hold in Yautja clans, but I will also meet the one closest to Thua'ste. Vain-bhihre already seems to despise me, which I will have to attempt to correct, and I need to leave a good first impression on the elder. The more Yautjas I have on my side the better. 

I brush through my hair for maybe the fifth time. I know Yautjas give no shits about superficial things like this, but the need to look good to make an impression is still ingrained in me. I'm wearing the full armor that I and Thua'ste made for the hunt, which makes me feel more comfortable as it makes my outfit slightly less revealing. 

"Are you still not done?" Thua'ste questions behind me.

I can see in the mirror in front of me that he is nonchalantly leaning against the doorframe. I sigh, putting the brush down and pushing my hair over my shoulders. As soon as I see how it looks I grab the left side of my hair and let it hang over my chest. This looks fine, right?

"I just want them to like me. If that's possible." I tell him as I turn around to face him. 

He has his full armor on, only his helmet is missing. The metal pieces shimmer under the light, all the polishing he had done paid off. My eyes fall on a row of slender daggers that hang from straps on his right calf. The blades seem to be made of Onyx, a slight roundness in the middle leading to a thin, pointed tip that seems extremely sharp. The handgrips look to be made of dark green rock, the texture reminding me of raw crystals. Even under these stoic lights, they look beautiful. 

"This is the first time I've seen you interested in my weaponry." He says, having noticed my staring.

I play with the necklace around my neck, fingers gliding over the emerald pendant. "Well, you know I like green." 

Thua'ste pushes himself away from the doorframe, getting closer to me. 

"That's not why I got you that necklace. It reminded me of your eyes." He tells me, eyes trailing over my face before they catch onto mine. My chest feels warm, overtaken by his sudden sweetness. I had never made that connection. 

"Thank you again for getting it for me." I tell him a bit shyly.

He simply nods, letting the silence weigh between us. My heart beats fast in my chest and I race to find something to say, it's still hard to be lovey-dovey with him. 

I notice that Thua'ste looks down at his daggers, seemingly contemplating. When he looks back up at me I know what he was thinking about, his eyes showing a shimmer of mistrust. He thought about giving them to me but decided he doesn't trust me enough, it seems. It hurts but I understand, a lot of people would literally stab him in the back. Even if I could successfully stab and kill him, where would I go? It's not like I can fly a ship and I doubt that the action would go unpunished. If I defeat him in fair combat the Yautjas would let me go, but by stabbing someone unexpectedly when they aren't armed? They would have my head. Besides all those logical reasons, I also just don't want him to die, as stupid as it may sound. I should probably be cheering for any chance to get away from him, but the thought brings me no joy. I'm not sure if I could ever go back to how I used to live, too much has happened, and this weird connection that I feel with Thua'ste is only growing stronger. 

"Lilly-" Thua'ste starts, but I cut him off. "It's alright, no weapons for now. I'll be patiently waiting to get my hands on those beauties." I say with a smile. 

He seems relieved that he doesn't need to explain himself. "When the time comes they are yours." He confirms.

"In a few years, I'll have taken all your belongings." I tell him teasingly, throwing my hair back to accentuate my smugness.

He chuckles at that statement as he shakes his head. 

I stay quiet for a little before carefully asking my next question. "Are you nervous?" 

"No, and you shouldn't be either. They will sense it." He replies before putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Come with me now, it's time to prepare for landing." He says and guides me forward.

I feel my stomach churn as my feet touch the grassy fields of Planterra. I'm doing my best to suppress my nerves, but my body isn't handling the stress well. The sight of the planet is quite comforting though, the outstretched fields, forests, and mountains reminiscent of earth. I don't need my mask to breath here either. 

My palms feel sweaty as I ball my hands into fists, attempting the squeeze the nerves away. Thua'ste landed the ship in the same field where the Elder's is parked, making the walk to my first meeting with another Yautja mercifully short. I look at Thua'ste for comfort as we approach the ship's entrance, but his masked face gives me none. I flinch when the doors part with a loud electronic whirring, revealing the Elder Yautja. He stands taller than Thua'ste, bottom mandibles bulkier, dreads thicker and colored a soft gray color. His armor's chest piece has more markings than Thua'ste's as well, which he told me before are rewarded after different types of hunts. This Yautja radiates authority, there's no doubt about it.

"Welcome to Planterra." The elder says. His voice has an odd vibration to it, making it sound more foreign than Thua'ste's.

"Thank you, elder Cikou." Thua'ste says, respectfully bowing his head. I mimic his actions, hoping that it's the right thing for me to do.

"You may enter my ship." Cikou states before reentering it himself, making us follow him. 

The silence between the three of us as the elder leads us to his preferred room is not helping my nerves. Cikou has only spoken two formal sentences so I have no clue what he thinks of me. 

"Sit." He tells me and Thua'ste as we enter a room with two long couches that face each other. 

We oblige and I make sure to stay close to Thua'ste. The white, leather-looking couch feels quite hard underneath me, but it's better than any chair on Thua'ste's ship. Clearly the elder is more used to receiving guests. He pours a purple drink into two metal cups, handing one over to Thua'ste and sitting down himself with the other. Thua'ste takes off his bio-helmet, placing it next to him so he can sip at the drink.

"You wished to speak to me?" Cikou's black eyes glide over me as he speaks. 

"Yes, I heard that you have experience with a human mate." Thua'ste tells him.

Even as Thua'ste speaks, Cikou's eyes don't leave my form. I shift uncomfortably in my seat, already not liking how this is going. 

The elder chuckles. "Indeed I do. They are quite fun to keep around. High maintenance, but their bodies make it worth your time." He nonchalantly swishes around the drink in his cup as he speaks.

Fuck, of course he has to be a scumbag. I clench my jaw, trying to hide my irritation at his words. 

"How was your human mate treated within the clan?" Thua'ste asks, ignoring what was said. 

Cikou sighs. "Well enough. The female couldn't go outside on her own, but why would she. Our brothers and sisters ignored her presence mostly, I only had to keep some curious ones away." 

"Was she able to digest our foods?" Thua'ste questions on. I turn my head slightly to look at him, he seems focussed and unbothered by the Elder's crude words. 

Cikou clicks impatiently, clearly not caring much for these subjects. "My female was. Their bodies are designed to adapt to their environments as best they can after all." He leans forward slightly before he continues speaking. "But if she does prove unable to adapt, there are billions of others waiting to be taken." 

I wrinkle my nose in disgust as his eyes connect with mine at the last part. 

"Did she-" Thua'ste tries to keep his questionnaire going, but the elder cuts him off. 

"Enough of your pet care questions. I had presumed that this meeting would be far more... interesting." Cikou tells him. 

Thua'ste spreads his mandibles angrily at his implication. "Then you must be under the false impression that I'm bringing her over to our clan to start a brothel." His words cause the elder to flare his mandibles as well.

"What was her name?" I ask, interrupting the males. 

Cikou looks at me with a questioning look. "What was your human's name?" I rephrase.

"Amanda." He answers.

Thua'ste puts a hand on my shoulder warningly, but I shake it off.  
"What was Amanda good at?" I ask.

Cikou stares at me, seemingly trying to intimidate me. "She set good traps."

"Interesting. See, that's something that I and many other humans can't do because we're all different." I tell him, leaning forward as well before I continue. "So I invite you to go to earth, and find a human exactly like Amanda, because it's impossible." 

Before the elder Yautja can react a laugh is heard from across the room. All of us snap our heads into the direction, a figure in the corner appearing seemingly out of nowhere. It doesn't take long for me to process who it must be. The woman is incredibly tall with a muscular body, her irises completely black and her skin a blotted grey. Her facial features are human, except for the sharp cheekbones and one pair of mandibles that are attached to her jaw. 

"She got you there." She says mockingly towards the elder, who looks caught off guard. 

"Yonka! Why did you not inform me of your return?!" He asks angrily, but she shrugs it off. 

"Not important, but imagine my surprise when I smelled a human." Yonka says while walking over to me, raven hair swaying behind her in intricate braids. 

I sit back straight again, confused as she lets herself fall on the couch next to me. Her face moves closer to my hair and she smells it shamelessly.  
"I haven't smelled that scent in over two centuries." She tells me as I face her. Her eyes seem sad.

"This is you and the female's offspring?" Thua'ste asks, his voice exposing his excitement.

Cikou groans. "Yes, the only one that survived." 

"How long do you live?" I ask Yonka curiously. 

She smiles. "I don't know, but I have already lived longer than a human ever has."

Hearing that lifts my mood. This Yautja might be a dick, and Amanda might have been miserable, but at least it resulted in something new and extraordinary. 

"Could I ask you some questions about humans?" She asks me a bit reluctantly. 

I want to say yes but Caikou interferes. "No. The less human you are the better." 

"Why did you even take a human as your mate if you hate them so much?" I ask him, letting my annoyance sound. 

"Everyone makes mistakes." He says, making me feel incredibly bad for Yonka. If it did hurt her she hides it well as her face is expressionless. 

The way Cikou said it this time makes me feel like maybe he isn't telling the truth though. Could it be that losing Amanda and two of their children has made him bitter?

The room remains silent for minutes before Thua'ste finally speaks up. "Thank you for your time, we'll be going now." He says, grabbing onto my arm to make me stand up with him. 

I think that Thua'ste doesn't feel like he'll get more information from them so there's nothing left here to do. I mutter a quick goodbye to Yonka, ignoring the elder, and leave the ship together with Thua'ste.

"That was fucking weird." I whisper to him when we are quite a distance away from the ship. Never know how good their hearing is. 

"His scent did not match his demeanor." He says, confirming my suspicion of Cikou not telling the truth. 

His mandibles fold together tightly after he has spoken, his whole posture seeming less energized than before. He isn't bothering to put his bio-helmet on either. 

"You seem disappointed." I note.

He looks at me, eyes alert. "Are you not?"

I laugh sadly. "Of course I am. I really fooled myself thinking that I'd hear a grand love story." 

"I thought I could get a clearer picture of what will await you on my planet, but it seems like the blanks will have to be filled in with experience." Thua'ste tells me.

I nod my head. "At least what we do know sounds positive enough." 

"That's true." He says in agreement before moving on. "Vain-bhihre should arrive shortly, we will welcome him onto my ship." 

I feel the knot in my stomach returning. "Shit, I was so mad that I forgot that the most nerve-wracking part is still to come."

He has to chuckle at that. "You will be fine. He has a big mouth, just like you." 

That sounds fun but doesn't comfort me much. In the past, there have been plenty of times where a playful back and forth with someone turned into an argument. I guess I have no choice but to see how it will go and reign myself in when needed. I sigh. I wish this first encounter would've gone better. I truly hope that Amanda was loved during her life and that Cikou is just a bitter old man now. But that doesn't make it better for Yonka, who's sad eyes still make my chest feel tight when I think back at them. I know what it feels like to lose a parent, but at least I had one left that gave me all their love. I promise myself that if I get the chance, I'll talk to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that I'm taking longer with the chapters! I'm insanely busy but trying my best to keep the updates frequent and not make the writing seem rushed/sloppy.  
> If you enjoyed the story, please leave a comment as they motivate me so much and I love reading them ♡♡


	18. Brothers

It feels like I've been pacing around the entrance for hours, anxiously picking at every piece of dry skin on my hands that I can find. Thua'ste is looking through data on his wrist gauntlet, leaning his back against the wall seemingly unbothered. 

"Where will we even go when he's here? You don't have a couch like Cikou." I ask him, stopping in front of him. 

He doesn't look away from his display as he answers. "We have legs, we'll stand." 

I scoff at his smartass comment. "Might be a solid investment to get a couch." 

He looks at me now, eyeing me curiously. "Why? We mostly use the bed or chairs."

"Well, I'm assuming Vain-bhihre will come over more often right? Maybe other Yautjas will too. It would be nice to have a little space where we can sit with them." I tell him.

He clicks his mandibles rapidly in amusement. "Seems to me that you are assuming you'll be popular amongst my clan."

I roll my eyes but smile afterward. "Of course! This first meeting went so well after all." I reply sarcastically, making us both laugh.  
Thua'ste suddenly goes quiet, eyes narrowing slightly as he focusses. Without saying a word, he presses his claw to the scan, making the entranceway to the ship open up. I don't need an announcement to get what's going on, Vain-bhihre has arrived. I keep a little behind Thua'ste, standing to his left. As soon as he is able to enter, the other Yautja storms in. Thua'ste's as well as Vain-bhihre's mandibles chitter as they lay a hand on each other's shoulder, giving an eager shake. 

"Brother, bless the great Warrior, it's been too long." Vain-bhihre says, his voice resonating his happiness. 

Thua'ste nods his head, their hands and shoulders still connected. "It has, I am pleased to once again welcome you onto my ship, brother." 

They both slowly release each other. I notice that they both look at each with great respect, but it's clear that Vain-bhihre admires Thua'ste. I hadn't been able to get a good look at Vain-bhihre the night that I first met him, and I'd rather not remember that moment either. The shorter Yautja takes off his helmet and I curiously take him in. Vain-bhihre's skin is more yellowish with lime green spots, shorter dreads adorned with silver rings instead of Thua'ste's golden ones, his armor almost the same as well but less marked. As he holds his helmet in one hand, I notice that he is missing two fingers, a thick scar running from the stumps up to almost his elbow. 

"This is my human Lilly." I hadn't even noticed that Thua'ste's hand was pressing into my back until he pushed me forward, introducing me to Vain-bhihre.  
Vain-bhihre's eyes lock onto mine, showcasing the same golden shade as Thua'ste's. 

"It's an honor to meet you, Vain-bhihre." I say, giving him a polite smile. His name definitely didn't come out as smoothly as Thua'ste's, my nerves not helping. 

Vain-bhihre eyes me over, seemingly judging every part of me. "I suppose I should say the same to you." He finally says. 

I wait for him to indeed say it back, but all he does is stare me down. Realizing he's not going to say anything, I turn to Thua'ste for help, who looks to be enjoying this. 

Vain-bhihre hesitates, his stubborn attitude clearly showing as he looks at me again. I keep a neutral expression, I don't care for him kissing my ass, but just a greeting would be nice. 

"Greetings, human.” He says, sounding incredibly forced.

I give him a smile. I’ll take it. “I’ve heard a lot about you.” 

Vain-bhihre’s eyes shimmer with pride at my words, his back straightening. Their egos and pride really are their weak spots. Even though they aren’t biological brothers, I can already tell that they share a lot of the same characteristics. 

“I’m assuming you are ready for our hunt?” Thua’ste asks Vain-bhihre, sounding thrilled.

Vain-bhihre nods, mandibles flaring slightly. He reaches over his shoulder, pulling a giant spear from his back. Thua’ste eyes it before he starts laughing. 

“I hadn’t thought I would see that thing ever again after our trip to Conces.” Thua’ste says.

Vain-bhihre laughs as well as he strokes a hand over the silver material of the spear. “I had Son-hi repair it. She took her time, but now I have it back.” 

I eye the spear curiously, wondering what’s so special about it. It looks strong and lethal like all Yautja weapons, but nothing about it stands out. Perhaps it’s a sentimental thing to them. 

“How is Son-hi?” Thua’ste asks, crossing his arms across his chest.

Vain-bhihre glances at me before answering. “She is well, considering her state.” 

I frown, attempting to catch Vain-bhihre’s eyes again for answers, but keeps them steadily on Thua’ste, who doesn’t seem to want to look at me either.

“It took?” Thua’ste questions on.

I can sense Vain-bhihre’s unease, apparently more emphatic than his brother. “Yes.”

“Sorry to interrupt, but who’s that? Is she alright?” I ask, looking from one brother to the other in confusion.

Thua’ste turns his head to face me. “Son-hi is a great armorer in our clan. And she is doing fine.” 

I shake my head lightly. “But then what’s all that about her state about?” 

“I mated with her before I left for your planet, she’s with child.” His face is neutral as he explains. 

There’s no doubt that the shock shows on my face. It’s not like I hadn’t been aware that Thua’ste bedded others before, nor that he has a lot of children, but this still took me by surprise.

“Oh... I see.” I say awkwardly, not able to form a better response.

It’s weird to think that I’ve been sleeping with Thua’ste while another woman is pregnant with his child, but I suppose that’s only how humans see it. Thua’ste certainly doesn’t seem to think it holds a lot of weight, seeing that he turns back to Vain-bhihre and chats on like nothing happened. I don’t really listen to their conversation, mauling over this new information.

I get pulled from my thoughts by the feeling of Thua’ste’s heavy claw resting on my shoulder. I look up at him, his free claw stroking over my face as our eyes meet. 

“We’ll be leaving now. Be good.” He tells me.

I nod. “Will you be away for long?” 

He looks at Vain-bhihre before shaking his head. “No, this will be a short hunt.”

“Alright then, good luck.” I tell him, expecting him to pull away but he stays put.

I raise an eyebrow at him before realizing what he wants, his eye shining. Gently I press a kiss beside his left mandibles and he rumbles in approval. He pulls away now, him and Vain-bhihre leaving the ship without another word.

During my time alone I use my wrist gauntlet to practice my Yautja alphabet writing. Thua’ste had recently added a little program to it in which I can just type away, reminding me of the nights I spend on my laptop for school. He checks what I’ve written sometimes, and he’s been saying that I’m doing really good. It feels nice to be picking up things from his culture.

Currently, I’m messing around with some pieces of fabric, seeing if I could make anything nice for myself. There are quite some cotton-like fabrics on the ship, but they are all bits of one color. I doubt that it would look good if I stitched together a bunch of random colors and patterns. My mind drifts back to Thua’ste’s baby as my hand glides over a rough patch of dark blue fabric. I doubt they put them in cute little clothes as we do on earth, which was always the part I looked forward to the most when I thought of children. I feel sadness washing over me like a cold wind. No matter how hard I try, I can’t suppress everything I have been taught. This just isn’t the standard on earth, and even though I’m not there those ideals are still ingrained inside of me. When I think of Son-hi and her baby, I feel like a homewrecker, even though I know damn well that she probably doesn’t give a fuck. I pick up the piece of fabric, fiddling with it. Blue for a boy, pink for a girl, that’s how it always was. Perhaps for the Yautjas, it’s a gun for a boy and a knife for a girl.

I drop the fabric with a sigh. “Stop thinking about babies, Lilly. For fucks sake.” I mutter to myself.

“Babies?” 

I jump up from my chair, turning around swiftly to face the booming voice behind me. Thua’ste came home without me realizing, looking slightly scuffed from the hunt. 

“Shit, why do you have to sneak up on me like that?” I groan, pushing my hair behind my ears.

“I thought you would like to know I’ve returned. Vain-bhihre is cooking his kill outside.” He tells me.

“Alright, I’m assuming you want to go to him so let’s go.” I say and start walking towards the door, but Thua’ste catches onto my arm before I can leave the room.

His eyes burn into mine. “Are you distressed about me having a child with another?” He questions.

“No, not really. I’ve been aware for some time now about your... activities.” I tell him.

“Then why were you cursing at yourself for something about newborns?” He pushes on.

I sigh and gently free my arm from his grip. “It’s just... it’s hard to explain. On earth, this kind of thing just isn’t the norm, and I know your culture is different, but I can’t completely shake off the feeling that this is bad.” 

Thua’ste tilts his head to the side slightly. “It’s bad that I’m having a child?” 

I shake my head. “No, no not that. It feels wrong that I’m with you, sexually, while someone else is carrying your child.” 

“I don’t understand.” He tells me, his expression reflecting it.

“I know you don’t. We were raised very differently, Thua’ste. Just know I’m doing my best to deal with all of this, but in the end, I’m still human.” I say honestly.

“What can I do to make it better for you?” He asks, claw finding my arm again.

I give him a smile. “You listening to my ramblings is more than enough.” 

“I usually don't see them till their Chivas, if that comforts you.” He tells me. 

"How you interact with them is your choice, don't worry about me." I answer.

I've been mentally preparing myself for some time that I'll probably meet dozens of his children. All that I can do in this case is get over my own moral conflicts. 

"I do take notice of how you are adapting." Thua'ste tells me proudly, finger absentmindedly stroking over a mole on my arm. 

He moves his hand away and gives me a gentle push. "Let's go now, we can talk more about this later, if you wish." 

It reeks like decay outside. Whatever that blue, winged thing is that Vain-bhihre is roasting over an open fire, it stinks. Neither he nor Thua'ste seem to mind it as he joins his brother on the grass in front of it. 

"Do you not smell that?" I ask, pinching my nose shut with my fingers.

"I smell food." Thua'ste scoffs. 

I don't want to sit down with them. Really I just want to go inside, but I don't want to be rude. I look around the dark field, the campfire being the only source of light as there are no moon or stars to be seen in the pitch-black sky. I try to focus on the way the little chips of fire ascend into the sky, on the way the wood crackles under the fire's heat. I focus on the pleasant things that remind me of the nights I spend roasting marshmallows at campsites with my family. We didn't go anymore after dad died, but even after these years I still remember how special those nights were.

"Do you want a piece?" Vain-bhihre asks, making me force my eyes away from the fire. 

I'm surprised at the kind gesture. He looks genuine, his arm extended as he holds a piece of the blue meat. 

"She doesn't. Humans only eat what they know." Thua'ste answers, taking the meat himself instead. 

"That's not true, I've tried some new things!" I say quickly, not wanting Vain-bhihre to think bad of me because of it. 

Thua'ste and Vain-bhihre exchange a look before they both laugh. I shrug their response off, instead looking around the area again. I'm pleasantly surprised to see Yonka sitting some yards away, her figure barely illuminated. 

"I'm going over there real quick." I tell Thua'ste, pointing in her direction before leaving without waiting on a response. 

He'll be able to see me, probably hear me too, so I'm sure he doesn't mind that much. He and Vain-bhihre are chatting about stuff I don't understand anyway.  
I make my way over to Yonka, who is sitting cross-legged in the grass as she polishes thick knives with a cloth. I know that she saw me coming, but she looks surprised regardless when I sit down next to her. 

"I hope you don't mind. I can't stand the smell of what they are eating." I tell her, which is true as the nasty smell is faintly present even here. 

A smile pulls at her lips as she goes back to polishing. "I don't get company often." 

I shift uncomfortably in the grass, deciding what I should start with. "I'm sorry about your mom." I settle on.

Yonka lays her task down completely and turns to face me. "Sorry about my mom? What does that mean?" 

"Oh, it's a thing that humans say to express to someone that they understand the other's grieve." I tell her, a bit shocked that she doesn't know. 

"I see. I don't know many human expressions." She says, and even in the dim light of the campfire, I can see the sad glint in her eyes. 

I look at some of the long braids that hang over her broad shoulders as I try to find something to talk about. "Who taught you how to braid your hair?"

"My mother taught my father, who taught me." She answers.

I laugh. "I can't imagine the Cikou I saw doing that." 

Yonka laughs a little, but it doesn't sound genuine. "He has not always been like... this. After mother he got silent, and after my brothers he got angry." 

"Angry about what?" I ask her. 

"Angry that he had chosen a human. A human that was so weak she died and put that same weakness in his children. That I survived didn't matter." She says, spitting the last sentence out bitterly. 

I put my hand over hers, feeling how tense it is. “I’m sure you know this, but he is wrong. Dying of illness, accidents, or something else suddenly sucks, but it’s one of the things that makes us human. We don’t know when our lives might end. When they do, it might feel like a pity or a waste, but I’ve never met a human who died that didn’t leave some kind of legacy behind.” 

“What good is a weak legacy?” She questions.

I shake my head, showing her a soft smile. “When I die, I don’t care whether my children are great warriors or not. If I’ve left behind kind and smart children, or even grandchildren, then I already have the best legacy.” 

Yonka’s lips curl into a tiny smile. “That’s great, but I’ve lost the part of my family who thinks like that. It’s nice to hear it though.” 

“I understand. I just wanted to let you know my human perspective I suppose.” I say, moving my hand away from hers again the give her space.

Nobody could ever replace her mother and brothers, I’m well aware of that. I understand that it’s them she wants these words from.

I can see that she is hesitating to ask something, her mouth opening and closing several times before she decides to say it. “What do humans live like on earth?” 

I think it over for a second. “Well, it depends on where you live. In my town, everyone lives in houses with their families. When we get a bit older than I am right now, a lot of us move out and start a family ourselves. We spend our days looking after those families and working all kinds of jobs or going to school for them.” 

Yonka looks more confused by my explanation than anything. “I see... I think. Mother must have been happier there.” 

“Did she get treated badly?” I can’t hold myself back from asking.

She shakes her head. “I only know bits about her life with my father, I barely remember her at all. What I do know is that she never went outside without father and that the clan did not treat her kindly. My brothers told me stories about other Yautja threatening or even spitting on her, but nothing could be done about it.” 

I feel my stomach turn. If that happens to me I’m not sure how I will deal with it. I’m not suicidal enough to start a fight with any Yautja that would do that, but I can’t imagine I would be able to just sit there and take it. 

“That’s awful. I’m... concerned about my arrival on Yautja prime.” I tell her honestly, looking down at the grass.

“My father has always been a great warrior, however, he never was a leader. Thua'ste has proven that he is very different on that front.” She tells me in a comforting tone, resting her claw on my shoulder.

"What do you mean?" I ask her, a bit confused. Thua'ste holds a high title as an elite of his clan, I know that, but I've heard nothing about him leading anything. 

"Thua'ste, and another few elites, have a chance to become one of our leaders. Leader Hauhri died recently so the council is in need of a new member. To even be selected you need to have demonstrated everything they need." She tells me, frowning at my unknowingness. 

My breath comes out in hitches for a second as I shake Yonka's hand off of me. "I- I'm sorry, I'm just realizing I know a lot less than I thought." 

"Yautjas only tell you what they deem necessary, I know that can be frustrating." She tells me emphatically as I stare at Thua'ste through the high flames of the campfire. 

Yonka leans back, planting her palms on the grass behind her. "It can only benefit you. If he is still deemed eligible after bringing you back that is."  
I sigh, closing my eyes for a second to process this. I've gone from feeling like a homewrecker to feeling like a presidential candidate's dirty affair, not so great process today. Perhaps Thua'ste doesn't care for the position of leader much and that's why he didn't tell me. I really hope that is the case, but in the end, I'm not even sure about how bad I should feel seeing that he took opportunities from me away as well. 

"Give me your arm." Yonka suddenly says, gesturing at my right one. 

I lay my arm in her lap, still partially lost in my thoughts as I feel her messing with my wrist gauntlet. After some quick taps with her fingers, she lets go of it, looking at me triumphantly. 

"There you go. Now you can contact me whenever you want, and I you. There's still much we both need to learn, but I can sense that your mate is getting impatient." She tells me, glancing over at Thua'ste. 

I follow her gaze with a smile. His face doesn't look anymore grumpy than usual, but I'm sure she is right. "Thank you, I'm glad I'll have at least one friend in your clan."

We look at each other again and she smiles widely. "Yautjas don't have friends. We are either brothers and sisters or nothing. So, sister it is." 

I smile back at her. "See you later then, sis." 

Yonka looks confused at the abbreviation as I stand up, wiping some grass off of my ass. It seems like she gets it as I start walking back towards Thua'ste, showing me one last smile. 

"Only a half Yautja would ever call you sister." Vain-bhihre says as I join them. 

I shoot him a look as I think of something snarky to say back. "Just wait till a half Yautja calls you uncle."

Thua'ste chuckles, which makes Vain-bhihre looks even more offended than he did when I said that. 

"Brother, can you get me a plasmacaster? I forgot to take mine with me." Vain-bhihre asks Thua'ste, who eyes him suspiciously for a second before nodding. 

Thua'ste stands up and starts walking towards the ship, laying his hand on my shoulder as he passes. "I'll be right back, stay here with Vain-bhihre." 

I want to protest, but just like I did before, Thua'ste leaves without allowing me to respond. I look around anxiously after the ship door closes behind him, eyes darting from Vain-bhihre's annoyed face to across the field to find Yonka, who is unfortunately gone. 

"Human." I take a step back as I find Vain-bhihre standing uncomfortably close to me. 

"After what you found out today, you must be unhappy." He continues. 

My eyes narrow at him. "Why would you care how I feel?"

Vain-bhihre's mandibles twitch, seemingly annoyed again at me seeing right through him. "Fine, I do not care about that. What do I care about is Thua'ste maintaining his rank."

"Okay, that's great?" I say, not getting what I should do with that information. 

"Your presence will soil everything he has worked for. His trophies, his bloodline, his position in the clan." He tells me, anger sounding in his booming voice. 

I feel frustration wash over me. He acts like I've not been made aware of that since basically day one. "I know, but what do you want me to do about it huh? Pack up my bags and leave?!" 

"Yes." He says, making me even more confused. Before I can ask him how that would work he continues. "If you agree to leave now, I will take you back to earth." 

It feels like someone just punched me in the stomach. I feel stunned and out of air as I take in what he just said. My mind races to memories of my family, of my job, and the dogs, but sprinkled throughout I see Thua'ste as well. I see his silly confused face when I tell him about humans, I see his claws stroke my hair, I see all the moments in which he treated me with kindness. It confirms something that I've been thinking, that no matter how far I would run I could never get rid of him. 

"No, no I won't." I tell Vain-bhihre, voice soft. 

"Are you insane?! I'm giving you the chance you've been waiting for!" He yells at me.

I shake my head, returning his angry looks. "Tell me, would you drop me off near my family and then let me knock on their door? Go back like nothing ever happened? No, that's a lie and you know it. I can never return anyway, to them Lilly is dead, and I think it's best to keep it that way." 

"You could start over somewhere else, start a nice little human family, or whatever it is your kind does!" He snaps at me, grabbing onto my arms harshly. 

I can't help but laugh bitterly. "As soon as I set foot on my planet, I won't only possibly have a Yautja coming after me, but also an insane human being with military connections that will no doubt find out I'm there before I can reach a town!" 

I feel his claws press into my flesh, barely holding back enough not to break the skin. "You will ruin everything."

I put a hand over the claw on my left arm. "I'm not trying to ruin anything, but what will happen is out of my hands. May I remind you that Thua'ste is 7 fucking centuries old? He will make his own decisions no matter what we think.”

I try to pry his wringing hand off of me but it doesn't move. 

"Aren't humans supposed to be weak and caring?" He questions almost to himself. 

"I do care. I've been more caring towards Thua'ste than many would. You might not believe me, but I don't wish anything ill onto your brother." I tell him, after which he goes silent. 

Vain-bhihre slowly let's go off my arms, leaving light red marks where his fingers had pressed. He looks weary still, but more trust seems to radiate from him than before. 

"Here's what you asked for." Thua'ste suddenly pops up from the shadows of the ship, surprising both me and Vain-bhihre. 

"Brother, I-" Vain-bhihre starts but Thua'ste cuts him off. "We will speak of this tomorrow." He says strictly. 

Vain-bhihre leaves without another word after taking the gun, clearly recognizing that Thua'ste will not back down from that statement. I feel my stomach twist in nervousness as me and Thua'ste are left alone together. I have no clue how much he heard, nor how happy or unhappy he will be with me. 

"You didn't take his offer." He says, making me meet his eyes. The fire has almost died out but I can still see the warmth that those golden eyes carry.

"Did you expect me to?" I question. 

He cups my cheek with his claw, making me lean into the pleasant warmth. "It would've been foolish of me not to expect that. I'm aware of how today must have been for you. I mistrusted you, and didn't share all that I could've with you."

I shake my head against his palm. "Everyone has secrets, Thua'ste." 

"You deserve my trust, and you deserve to know." He says, sounding a weird mix between sad and happy. 

He takes out a dagger from a strap on his leg, and I recognize it immediately as one of the ones I found so pretty. He hands it to me, carefully laying it into my hand. 

"Thank you for staying." He tells me, averting his gaze from my face to the dagger. 

I grip the handle, testing how it feels in my hand. It's surprisingly light, the raw crystal-like texture not really scraping my skin either. The dagger seems like a shimmering shadow in the dark night. I'm overjoyed. Not just because I'm holding this beautiful weapon, but because of this sign of his trust. It makes me feel like my feelings of wanting to stay were right. 

I hug him, a bit awkwardly thanks to his size. Not being able to wrap my arms around his neck, I hang onto his chest. "Thank you, this makes me really happy."

He taps my back comfortingly. We have shared a lot of intimate moments, but hugging is new. "I'm glad it does. Let's go inside now." He says stiffly. 

I nod my head, letting go of him with a smile. "Sooo... Will you teach me how to use it?" I ask, waving the dagger in my hand. 

Thua'ste looks amused and chuckles. "It would be worthless otherwise, wouldn't it?" 

I can't help but giggle from joy. I can feel things changing and growing. This gives me hope that soon I will not only be a weak human anymore. I'm not expecting to become a great warrior at all, but I'll be much more lethal than I was in that jungle. Things might keep on getting thrown at me, but at least now I'll be able to throw a dagger back at it instead of always having to dodge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your patience! I'm doing well, just had a bad flue and a shit ton of uni work hahha  
> Please let me know if you guys are still enjoying the story and thank you for all the kind comments I've gotten!


	19. Bruises and kisses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **WARNING!**  
>  This chapter contains explicit sexual content.

Thua'ste stares at me so intensely as I undress for the night that it's almost making me nervous. Normally he is always impatient, barely holding back from ripping the clothing right off of me. I'm sure he would do it if he wouldn't have to make me new ones. Now he seems to have decided to silently pine over me from across the room. My eyes meet his as I drop the last piece of my clothing and await his response. The cold air makes the hair on my arms stand up as he does nothing, leaving me standing exposed. I bite my lip, feeling awkward in this foreign situation. 

"Are you tired?" I ask him sweetly.

I can see from Thua'ste's face that he has heard me, mandibles twitching at the sound of my voice. I'm always anxious when waiting for a response after a long silence, but being naked definitely adds a new layer to it. As I start to shiver from the cold I decide to lay down in bed, seeing that I'm not getting a response anyway. As my back is turned to him, he closes the distance, making me gasp from the way he's suddenly pressed against me. Softly he graces over my arm with the back of his fingers, taking his time to trail from my shoulder to my elbow before starting again. I feel him lean his forehead against the back of my head and hear him inhale, my scent drawing a rumble from him. He has told me before that my scent is sweet, constantly reminding him of how Yautja females smell while they are in heat. My eyes flutter shut, enjoying his attention and touches. 

"I want you." Thua'ste tells me, voice low from behind me. 

A smile graces my lips. "I'm yours to take." 

I hear him grunting approvingly, his hand moving away after it arrives at my shoulder once again. His fingers trail over my neck before stroking down between my collarbones, moving teasingly over my right breast. I press back against him as he softly pinches my hard nipple, causing me to mewl. The teasing motions of his fingers don't stop and I can hear his breath growing labored in sync with mine. His free claw glides over my left hip before it dips between my thighs, urging me to open my legs further. I breathlessly say his name as I feel his fingers glide between my folds, seeking out my wetness. He bucks into me from behind, his bulge noticeable even from under his clothing. 

Thua'ste's hands suddenly pull away, making me whine in disappointment. "Turn around." He tells me as he takes a step back. 

I do as told, facing him with slightly flushed cheeks and show him a smile. His eyes trail over my face and body, lust clearly reflecting in them. I don't feel cold anymore now, my body still heated from his touch. 

"You are beautiful." He tells me. 

I look down bashfully. His compliments keep on taking me by surprise as they grow more direct. He closes the distance between us again, lifting my head up by taking my chin in his claw. He stares into my eyes for a moment before he spreads his mandibles, going in for a kiss. The light scrape of his mandibles against my skin doesn't feel foreign anymore, instead having grown into an almost pleasant sensation. His long tongue glides over my lips before eagerly dipping between them. Thua'ste's tongue always makes quick work of mine, dominating my mouth within seconds. The heated one-sided battle keeps going as I grab onto his shoulders, wanting him closer and closer to me. 

Thua'ste pulls away, pressing his forehead against mine lovingly before he moves away completely. "Lay down so I can undress." He tells me, yet he seems to struggle with seeing me move away. 

I lay down on the furs, resting my head on the pillows as I eagerly await him. He gets rid of his clothing and armor hurriedly, on top of me within a minute. I feel his thick cock slide along the inside of my thigh as he places himself between my legs, leaning his body over mine. The intenseness of his eyes makes me shiver as they don't let go of mine. He looks heated but has a softer expression than usual. 

"My mate." Thua'ste trills as he speaks, placing one claw on my hip and planting the other beside my head. 

I wrap my arms around his broad neck, legs doing the same to his hips. I pull his hips closer to mine encouragingly, hoping that my eyes reflect my want. "Ah!" I moan out as he slides into me, my wetness allowing him to do so in one thrust.

I'm expecting him to set a brutal pace like usual, but instead, he pulls out and slowly slides himself in again. His thrusts way less hard and his cock dragging along my walls tortuously at his precise movements. This way I can feel all of the ridges along his cock more than usual, causing me to throw my head back against the pillow in pleasure. He groans and grunts loudly above me, face showing it feels amazing for him as well. He slightly picks up speed after a bit but he continues being gentle. I've enjoyed all of the times we've slept together, but this time feels different. Before almost all I felt from his was a primal need, yet the way he takes me now feels loving. He's not just hungrily devouring me, he's savoring me.

Thua'ste moves the hand next to my head to fondle at my breasts instead, only making me arch into him further. "God, Thua'ste." I whimper. 

It feels so good and overwhelming even though he's going slow. My walls clench around him after the ridges of his cock drag along one of my sweet spots once again. I cling onto him harder, feeling my climax approaching quickly. I moan out his name again, closing my eyes as I focus on the way he fills me. 

"Look at me. I want to see your face when you cum." Thua'ste tells me. 

I feel the fluttering in my abdomen only increasing at his words, quickly opening my eyes. I don't think we've ever looked at each other this much during sex, but now I have seen the expressions he makes, I'm sure it will happen more often. A tug at my already flushed nipple pushes me over the edge, crying out as I cum around him. My legs shake slightly around his waist and I have to do my best to keep them up as he continues to fuck me during my orgasm. His cock twitches inside me violently as he continues looking at my ecstasy filled face, cursing as his climax quickly follows after mine. His hips fall still as his hot cum starts flooding my insides, some spilling out even against his best efforts. I blush at the lewd wet sound it makes when he pulls his cock out of me, smearing the leftover juices onto my mound. He strokes some hair out of my face gently before he gets off of me.

"I got lucky that you were in the jungle that day." Thua'ste says, pulling my head onto his chest as he lays down next to me. 

I giggle breathlessly, resting my hand on his abs as his heart beats steadily under me. "Me too. I quite enjoy this." 

He strokes through my hair with his claw, making me sigh out at how nice it feels. "You know I'm not good with this kind of thing, but I want you to know that you are not a burden to me. You are wanted." He tells me kindly.

I smile as I close my eyes, making myself comfortable. "Oh, so that's why you fucked me like this." I say a bit teasingly. 

"Did you like it?" He asks, trilling softly. 

"I loved it." I tell him, giving his chest a little kiss.

I hear his mandibles click before he chuckles. I'm sure he is feeling proud, and in this case, he has a right to be. It makes me happy that he tries his best to express his feelings, even when it's through sex. I felt what he wanted to convey. I felt that he wanted me, all of me. 

I decide the next day after breakfast that this might be a good moment to bring up the becoming a leader thing to Thua'ste. I'm feeling pretty optimistic about it, thinking that he either isn't interested or that he'll still try regardless of my presence. From the way he acted yesterday I don't feel like he will be irritated with me for bringing it up. I do think it's wise to talk to him about it before he leaves for Vain-bhihre though, seeing that I don't know how well that will go. 

"Uhm, do you have a moment?" I ask carefully after entering Thua'ste's weapons room. 

He looks away from a set of guns, nodding his head. 

I shuffle closer, joining him in front of the giant racks of weapons. He isn't dressed yet, only wearing his loincloth, which I guess isn't much more scandalous than my top and skirt. It's not like we've had to go outside yet anyway. 

"I know you heard that Yonka told me you might be able to become a leader. How come you hadn't told me about that?" I ask him. 

He sighs. "I hadn't said anything about it because I am doubtful of it myself. I do not know whether I deserve or even want the position." 

"I see. What do the leaders do?" I ask him, curious to know what it would entail. 

"The leaders form a council of eight, at the head of them is our clan leader. They monitor the clan and decide the courses it takes. Whether we go to war, what trials we hold, which Yautjas get branded as bad bloods and a lot more." He answers. 

Thua'ste averts his eyes from me, choosing to stare at his weapons instead. "I would service my clan in the highest way I can, but my hunts would suffer under it." 

"Were you planning on going on hunts a lot? With me there?" I question and he looks at me like he just realized that. 

He shakes his head. "No, it would probably be best to resign to only the big hunts." 

"Thua'ste, if you want to do something I don't want to be in the way. Whether that is becoming a leader or going on a lot of hunts." I tell him, feeling the weight in my chest from yesterday returning. 

He lays his hand on my shoulder. "I chose you, and like I said yesterday I still want you. Whatever it is I'll do, I'll combine it with you." 

I smile at him, feeling the weight take off again. Hearing those words from him comforts me that everything will turn out fine one way or another. 

"Whether you want to be a leader is up to you, but one thing I do know is that you definitely deserve it." I tell him encouragingly. 

"Thank you, silly human." He chuckles, giving my shoulder a pat. 

I playfully swat his hand away. "Yeah, yeah. Don't let it get to your head." I tell him with a smirk. 

It's nice that he isn't offended by my humor anymore. Now he mostly enjoys it or at least tolerates it. When I say things like this I can still see a spark in his eyes, a certain urge to confirm his dominance over me. Luckily he has learned to save those urges for the bedroom. 

"Oh by the way, if the council makes important decisions then shouldn't you inform them about me?" I ask Thua'ste. 

He takes one of the plasmaguns off of the rack, resuming his task of examining them. I have rarely seen him use them, the two long knives on his glove clearly having his preference. 

"No, if I inform them beforehand they'll have more room to deny you." He tells me. 

I nod my head, agreeing. The thought of surprising a clan of Yautjas with my arrival doesn't sound like the best idea to me, but I trust that Thua'ste has thought it over. I doubt they can say no seeing that Cikou was allowed to have a human mate previously, but I'm sure they will not be pleased. 

"Fuck!" I curse out, missing blow after blow yet again. 

Thua'ste is keeping his promise about teaching me how to use my new daggers, but before I can even wield them I have to do close combat training with him. No weapons allowed, only your brute force, which I'm severely lacking in. He's training me in a room that I've only seen glimpses of before, him rarely going there himself. The floor of the room is patted with blueish foam material and the white lights on the ceiling are sharper than in other rooms. The left and right walls are covered from floor to ceiling with the same kind of foam, the front wall lined with racks stacked full of blunt weapons. Before we started Thua'ste put this weird contraption around me. The weird, hard plastic shield scared me as it adjusted to my form as soon as he had put it close to my chest. Thua'ste is wearing one too, he told me they wear it during training to protect their internal organs. For him, it's only important when I start trying to jab him with weapons, but he informed me that a punch or kick from him could easily crack my ribcage so I will always have to wear it. 

I'm already panting even though the training has just started. Thua'ste circles me like a real predator, movements so swift that it's hard for my eyes to keep up. All I have to accomplish right now is get a punch or kick in on him, but I'm already struggling immensely. He moves to my left and I quickly sway around to get him, but he's already gone again, my long braid slapping me in the face from my fast turn instead. 

"You are supposed to hit _me._ " Thua'ste says as I huff angrily. 

"I'm trying!" I say, catching a glimpse of him from the corner of my eye. 

I turn again, this time folding my arm to be ready to punch him. I feel my fist connect with something as I barely even look to see if he is still there. Now I see that he was, my fist still against the right side of his abdomen. He's standing perfectly still, his amused look making it clear that it did absolutely nothing while my knuckles throb from the impact. 

"This is useless! How can I, a human, ever be able to hurt you with my fist?!" I yell, moving my hand away from him to wipe the sweat off of my forehead. 

"You just caught on?" He asks.

I look up at him, frustration clear in my voice as I speak. "What do you mean? Are you saying you had me chasing you around for like half an hour to make a point?" 

"Perhaps." He answers, casually walking to the middle of the room. 

Fuck, I really should have caught on sooner. I had felt like it was useless since the beginning, I could never out chase or out power a Yautja, but I had followed his orders regardless.  
Thua'ste beckons me to join him with his claw and I do so a bit reluctantly. I can see him tensing his muscles as I stand in front of him within arms reach, waiting on whatever's next. 

"Punch me." He says, pointing at his face. 

I look at him in confusion, laughing a little before I realize he's serious. He probably won't even feel it, used to much worse. Still, it feels a bit odd. I ball my fist again, feeling the way I clench it before I sway it up to his face. He squeezes his eye shut on the right side where I hit him near his cheekbone, but he once again doesn't butch. I curse out and retract my hand, my knuckles now even sorer. 

"My kind has far thicker skin than yours, that combined with our speed and strength makes it impossible for you to beat us like this. Like I've told you previously, the danger in humans for us is your cunningness. Look at me closely, and then tell me what you see that you could take advantage of." Thua'ste tells me, looking at me intensely as he awaits my answer. 

I look him over, taking my time to think over the parts that I think might be more vulnerable than others. 

I point at his mandibles to start off. "Your lower mandibles could probably be ripped off with enough force." I say and then point at his dreads. "You have long dreads, which unlike human hair have feeling. From what I've felt before they are less sturdy than the skin on your body, almost rubbery. Perhaps they could be bitten off when stuck near you." I tell him. I smile apologetically as I point at his neck. "Yautjas heads seem to have grown to cover part of your necks from direct impact, so I'm guessing a punch there would leave you a bit breathless." Lastly, I point at his eyes. "Like basically every other being, I'm sure your eyes don't enjoy being poked." 

Thua'ste looks proud at my findings. "Very good, but remember to avoid direct contact unless there's no other option." 

I have to smile at how much he sounds like a teacher. I find it so cute when he's like that. "Noted." I tell him. 

"Have you taken her down yet?" A voice calls out from the doorway. 

I look over to see Vain-bhihre standing there, arms crossed over his chest with an impatient look on his face. 

"She just started." Thua'ste tells him gruffly. 

Vain-bhihre walks closer to us, looking me over before confronting Thua'ste again. "There isn't a scratch on her. I remember our training sessions quite differently." 

"She's not like us." He answers. 

"You are being soft on her." Vain-bhihre says and reaches out a hand towards Thua'ste. "Leave her training to me." 

Thua'ste looks at me, clearly unsure of whether to take his brother's offer. I don't think Vain-bhihre is lying, I doubt Thua'ste will lay a finger on me even if it's for training. Having decided, Thua'ste pulls the guarding chest piece off and hands it over to Vain-bhihre, who clicks it on effortlessly. Vain-bhihre takes off his gloves and metal boots to presumably make it a bit fairer. 

"You will arrive on Yautja prime soon, and I have no doubt that at least a couple of our brothers and sisters will want your head. You will learn the basics, and you will learn them fast so you have at least a slim chance if they decide to act upon their urges." Vain-bhihre says, starting to circle me as soon as Thua'ste moves out of the way. 

I nod my head, putting my fists up in front of me in preparation. The way he put it makes it sound even more necessary than I had thought. I keep eye contact with him, his movements are swift but slow enough for me to keep up. I blink and within that second I've lost him, leaving me disoriented before I feel an intense force slam against my chest. The air is knocked out of me as my body connects with the foam floor, my elbow landing badly. I feel the pain shooting through my arm when I realize what has happened. 

"Move!" I hear Vain-bhihre yell and I roll away just in time to avoid his fist connecting with my face. 

My fear rises immensely at how serious he is taking this. I'm assuming he's holding himself back, but I'm not about to test it out. I scramble to my feet as quickly as I can, adrenaline making me forget all about my throbbing elbow. Vain-bhihre looks thrilled as he doesn't waste time moving in one me again. A quick swoop of his right leg brings me back to the floor immediately. He puts his barefoot on my sore elbow, making me yelp out. I hear Thua'ste telling him off, but Vain-bhihre growls at him to wait. Tears sting at the corners of my eyes as my survival instinct kicks in. Without thinking I move forward, biting down hard just above his heel. He makes a faint grunting sound as he stumbles away. I get up once again after he's off of me, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. 

Vain-bhihre chuckles as he examines his foot, spotting little pinprick wounds that leak bright green blood. "I had heard that humans can bite through a lot if forced to. Not bad." 

I glance over at Thua'ste, who looks both proud and concerned as he keeps to the sidelines. My attention is grabbed by the rattling of the weapon racks. Vain-bhihre has taken two long knives from it, coming over to hand one to me. 

"Aim only at my chest and I will do the same for you." He tells me, glaring. 

I nod my head. I would prefer to survive this. 

**\---------------------------------------------------------------------**

Thua'ste feels uneasy watching the training from the sidelines. He knows how his brother Vain-bhihre is, so even though he trusts him with his life he is afraid that he will not keep Lilly's limits in mind. The moment she had bitten Vain-bhihre had filled Thua'ste with great pride, and even want. He had never seen her this feral, reeking of adrenaline and aggression. The intense look in her eyes, her braided hair swaying so fiercely and her skin flushed and layered in sweat was something that he could get used to. 

Thua'ste watches closely as Vain-bhihre goes in for a strike, Lilly moving out of the way surprisingly agile. However, it doesn't take long before he has her on the ground again, crouching over her victoriously as he presses the dull knife to her throat. Thua'ste feels an unfamiliar feeling twisting inside of him at the sight of his brother on top of her. It bothers him, which is confusing as he had shared mates with Vain-bhihre and others before. Lilly knees Vain-bhihre sharply in the crotch, indeed an effective move on any male. She attempts to put distance between them, having lost her knife during her fall, dragging her body over the floor. Vain-bhihre catches one of her ankles, yanking her right back to him. Lilly groans and yelps at the scraping of her skin against the floor, but she stays determined as she kicks her free foot at Vain-bhihre. Her kicks aren't strong enough in the slightest and he pins her down below him. Thua'ste feels the unfamiliar grow, anger entangling it as he watches her struggle against his brother, her backside facing him. A little violence isn't unusual in a Yautja's bedroom, and this was starting to look an awful lot like that to Thua'ste. Instead of being proud of his brother, he feels enraged. Lilly was his to mate. 

"Get off." Thua'ste commands, growling dangerously at Vain-bhihre. 

Vain-bhihre let's go off Lilly immediately, interpreting correctly that there is no room for defiance right now. He helps her get up before backing away. Both of them look confused at Thua'ste's anger. Vain-bhihre understands what Thua'ste might have been seeing, but that had never been an issue previously. His brother had instead always encouraged him to mate the females that he had deemed worthy as well. Lilly doesn't understand what it looked like to Thua'ste and is instead confused as to why he would stop it in the middle of a nondangerous moment. 

Thua'ste's chest is puffed out, mandibles spread and fists balled. "We will continue your training tomorrow." He says, attempting to sound more collected than he looks. 

Lilly and Vain-bhihre nod their heads, both knowing better than to question it. 

"I will visit you later, brother." Thua'ste says, telling him to get out with other words. 

The message is loud and clear to Vain-bhihre, laying the knife down before taking his leave. This leaves only Thua'ste and Lilly in the room. She feels anxious as she's unsure whether she has done something wrong, shuffling towards him carefully. Thua'ste feels his anger subsiding as she looks up at him with those doe eyes of hers. Now she's in front of him he can pinpoint what the feeling must be. Jealously, foolish human-like jealousy. 

"Did I do something wrong?" Lilly questions innocently. 

"I'm unsure." Thua'ste answers, sounding confused himself. 

She opens her mouth to speak but is interrupted as he presses her up against the wall unexpectedly. He holds her up high, forcing her to spread her legs for him. One of his claws moves between them, angrily pushing her skirt up and exposing her heat. Thua'ste jealousy is urging him to take her, to confirm his claim on her. He growls in anger as he smells Vain-bhihre's scent all over.

"Thua'ste what-" She doesn't get to finish her question, a whine drawn from her throat as he starts to rub at her clit. Her hands grip at his shoulder for a hold on.

Thua'ste's movements feel impatient, fast, and pressing harder than usual. Lilly feels herself heating up regardless, the confusion quickly fading to the background as pleasure starts building inside of her. His expression is hard, almost seeming angry as he grunts lowly at how she writhes under his touch. He moves his fingers away from her sensitive nub, testingly sliding them between her folds, gathering her slick on them. 

Lilly gets a second of clarity as Thua'ste's hand leaves her body to move his loincloth to the side. "W-wait! Why are you like this so suddenly?" She quickly asks. 

He slides his hard cock against her heat, effortlessly moving over her folds thanks to her wetness. "I will not allow Vain-bhihre to breed you." He tells her determinately.

Lilly blinks in confusion before a blush settles on her cheeks as she realizes how his brother being on top of her might have looked suggestive. "Good." She squeaks out as Thua'ste braces his tip against her tight entrance. 

"Good?" He repeats, looking at her with a dangerous look in his eyes. 

"Y-yeah, good. I don't want Vain-bhihre, I want you." Lilly tells him quickly. 

Thua'ste is pleased with the confirmation. His cock throbs against her as his mind now fills with images of her moving and begging under him instead of his brother. Her cunt feels hot as he presses the head of his cock in slowly, bracing himself by placing one claw against the wall next to her head. The way Lilly's face twists in pleasure surges him in to put more of his length into her. Even after taking her countless times, the feeling of her walls clenching around him pleasantly surprises him every time. 

"Brother." Both Thua'ste and Lilly twist their heads towards the voice, finding Vain-bhihre in the doorway once again. 

"What is it?!" Thua'ste questions angrily. How dare he show his face again after Thua'ste told him to leave, even interupting his mating. Lilly looks away in embarrassment, face turning completely red at the situation. She had been accidentally walked in on by her mother once or twice, but not while someone's cock was literally inside of her. 

"Cikou is here." Vain-bhihre answers, not embarrassed at all seeing that this is far from the first time that he's walked in on Thua'ste like this. 

Thua'ste curses loudly, claw against the wall balling into an angry fist. He looks at Lilly's flushed face with eagerness, wanting nothing more than to continue pounding her. He decides to pull out of her reluctantly, making sure her skirt is down before he moves away from her. Her heat is only his to fill and see. 

"Bring him here." Thua'ste grumbles as he covers his crotch up again. He's angry at the interruption, and without Lilly's knowledge, planning on how he can take it out on her after the elder has left.

Lilly does her best to calm down, legs staying a little shaky. She looks to Thua'ste for guidance, but he keeps his eyes directed at the doorway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all once again for the kind comments! I've honestly been a bit insecure about my writing lately and to hear what parts and characters you guys enjoyed, or just that you liked the chapter in general really helps me get over it ❤


	20. The kiss of midnight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **WARNING!**  
>  This chapter contains: Explicit sexual content, descriptions of violence and death

If there was ever a moment I wanted to just disappear, it's now. My whole body is shaken up by the embarrassment of being seen like that. Yet I fear that this might not be the last time, judging from how the brothers had reacted to the situation. It seemed like this had happened before, which shouldn't be surprising seeing that Thua'ste literally has fucked others in front of me before. I feel extremely awkward as Cikou enters the room, thighs still slick from before. He oozes cockiness just like he did before, carrying a very large wooden box in his claws that hides the area from his abdomen to his chin behind it. Vain-bhihre reenters the room after him, standing to the side almost like a bodyguard. 

"I came to bring you this, for your human." Cikou says, keeping his eyes on Thua'ste. I'm surprised that whatever is in that box is meant for me, eyeing it curiously. 

Cikou puts the wooden box down on the ground, stepping away from it with an almost mournful look in his eyes. I look at Thua'ste, who gives me a nod of approval to go take a look at it. The wood is clearly old, scratched up and the light brown color faded at the edges. I kneel down in front of it, running my hand over the top, feeling the creases of the wood. I open up the heavy top lid, ignoring my bruised elbow's protests. A gasp leaves my mouth as the contents inside are unveiled to me. The left side is filled with all kinds of human clothing, the right side having several compartments for an array of hair decorations, hairbrushes, and even perfumes. The inside of the lid has a name carved into it in delicate, cursive letters. _Amanda._

"It seems you have about the same size she had." Cikou says, breaking my staring eyes away from the box. 

"Thank you, but I can't take this. It's hers." I tell him, shaking my head. All these things that Amanda owned, I can't imagine how much worth they hold to him. 

I can see that Cikou is trying to suppress the sorrowful look on his face. "She has no use for them anymore." He tells me. The way he said it makes me wonder whether Yautjas believe in some kind of heaven. 

"It's better for Lilly to stay away from human possessions." Thua'ste says, making me look back at him in surprise. Is that how he thinks about it? My eyes catch his and I see his hard stare softening before reversing again as he looks at Cikou. 

Cikou laughs, large mandibles clicking loudly. "A human will stay a human, whether they are still connected to their planet or not." He tells Thua'ste. 

I agree. I can take over parts of their lifestyle, but I will always remember mine. If I could, I would still choose my human clothing over the ones I'm wearing any day. Thua'ste looks at me again and I return his gaze with begging eyes. I would love to have these human luxuries back, to look a bit more like myself again. Thua'ste sighs, giving me one more examining look before deciding. 

"Very well. Thank you for your gift." Thua'ste tells Cikou. I can't help but smile, returning my attention to the contents of the chest. 

The golden hairpins and tiny perfume bottles prove to me that though the clan might have been cruel to Amanda, inside of their home Cikou tried to pamper her. It makes me happy that she did not have to live with hostility all around her. 

"Thank you, Cikou. I will cherish these." I tell Cikou, looking up at him with a smile. 

He nods his head, keeping his serious demeanor. I'm sure it hurts him to depart with these, but a part of me hopes that this will help him move on. Perhaps one-day things can change between him and Yonka. 

"That was all I came for. I will take my leave now." Cikou says, turning around to realize his words. 

As he faces Vain-bhihre he stops, seemingly realizing something. "I believe you are Vain-bhihre, correct?" He asks him. 

Vain-bhihre looks caught off guard surprisingly. "That is correct. It is an honor to meet you, brother Cikou." He says quickly. 

Cikou puts a hand on his shoulder, Vain-bhihre doing the same to him. "It is an honor to meet you too, brother Vain-bhihre." Cikou says and they give each other a shake. 

Cikou looks formal and confident as ever, while Vain-bhihre looks odd. He seems nervous, adoration showing in his eyes but it seems to be mixed with something else. I've not seen him look at Thua'ste nor at me that way. A possibility dawns on me, almost making me physically shake my head at the thought. It can't be, right? I mean it occurs in like all life forms on earth, so who says it doesn't on Yautja Prime. I decide that I must be interpreting the look in his eyes wrong, but a sad knot twists in my stomach regardless. 

The wooden box really turned out to be a treasure chest. I haven't been able to wear any of the dresses or skirts yet, the shorts better suited for my daily training sessions, but they looked absolutely beautiful. And I finally had underwear again. The bras had been too small for me, but the panties fit perfectly. Who thought someone could be this overjoyed to get their hands on some old panties. Thua'ste sadly forbid me from wearing the perfumes, claiming them bothersome as they would disturb my scent. I had agreed but was planning on using them on special occasions anyway. 

During the week that has passed, Thua'ste and Vain-bhihre have trained me thoroughly every day, now taking turns on who does which session. More bruises and scrapes cover my body every day, but until now it's nothing that I can't handle. I've bitten them, clawed at them, stabbed them, and they both seem to only be liking me more for it. Thua'ste seems more heated than ever after any training session, making sure that my muscles are even sorer by the time he is done with me. Vain-bhihre seems to like and respect me more now he sees that I'm eager to learn and don't want to just sit back and let everything happen around me. Like Thua'ste had said, Vain-bhihre can be quite funny with his hot-headed remarks from time to time. What I am disappointed by is my progress. I feel like I've mostly learned how to take a blow and how to force myself away from them, which isn't useless in the slightest but Thua'ste says I'm not ready yet to train with my daggers. On Yautja prime I won't be allowed to wear my armor nor carry any weapons, I'll have to come across as submissive and docile as possible. It comforts me that I know at least some tricks seeing how exposed I'll be. 

Thua'ste told me today will be special though, a little trial before we leave for Yautja Prime in about a day. I will join him and Thua'ste on a hunt, and I can take a knife! I know from last time that I'm save with Thua'ste, and now Vain-bhihre is even there as his second. They haven't told me any information about the creature, only to watch closely and to act when told. 

And now that it's finally time my body aches with nerves as I follow them through the thick forest. The forest is filled with all kinds of clicking, scraping, and other odd sounds. I thought that the same coloring of forests on earth would comfort me, but these sounds are ruining it. Vain-bhihre grumbles about me being slow, but he adjusts his pace to mine regardless. He rehashes the basic information they gave me about where a stab wound is most fatal and how to maintain a steady grip when making a long cut. Thua'ste and Vain-bhihre suddenly stand still after walking for a long time. To me, it seems like just any other spot in this forest, but they are clearly picking up on something that I'm not. I get my knife ready as I join them at staring up at the trees. I'm not seeing anything, only the faint rustling of the leaves seems to be causing movement. Vain-bhihre gets his spear ready, bouncing it lightly in his claw before he throws it at a tree a few yards away. His throw isn't hindered in the slightest by his missing fingers. A high screech is heard throughout the forest as his weapon seems to have made impact. I spot a flash of blue in the distance as a creature falls from the tree he aimed at it. 

"Follow us, fast!" Thua'ste instructs, quickly starting the pursuit. 

I run behind them and even though they stay near human speed, I'm easily falling behind. I force my legs to go faster, ignoring the aching muscles as I'm eager to prove myself. As we reach the spot where the creature fell there's a clear trail of light blue blood visible on the forest floor, the screeching creature dragging itself across it. The distance from before had prevented me from seeing me how big it is. It's huge, reminding me of those giant dinosaur birds thanks to it's large, pointed beak, and it's flapping wings. As the creature hears us approach it turns around angrily, barely able to as Vain-bhihre's spear is still lodged through one of its wings. 

Thua'ste hands me a throwing dagger. It's a simple metallic one. "Let's see how good your aim is." He says and I take it from him nervously. 

The creature is clearly furious, pupils angry slits as it continues to scream in our direction. It isn't moving around a lot anymore, probably getting tired quickly from the blood loss. I take a breath, trying to aim at the creature's chest as I send the dagger flying through the air. It does hit it, making more blood pour out from the fresh wound on its stomach. I feel bad as it cries out in pain, feeling that my actions are cruel. I guess it's too late to have morals about hunting and killing after eating meat my whole life. 

"Not bad. Try again." Thua'ste tells me proudly, handing me yet another dagger. 

I feel both his and Vain-bhihre's eyes burn into me as I get ready to give it another try. I hope that this one will be fatal, but I don't have much trust in my aim. The second dagger pierces the top of the creature's elongated head. I cringe at the sight of the creature thrashing on the ground, trying to get closer at shakes it's beak in confusion. I wonder if the part where I hit it was only made of bone or that I may have pierced part of its brain.

"Use your knife to finish it." Thua'ste tells me. I look at him in disbelief. I had thought I would be more of a help during this hunt, not the one delivering the finishing blow. "Slit its throat with your knife. It's disorientated so you should be able to do it." He rephrases casually. 

"I-I... I'm not sure if I'm prepared for that." I tell him. 

Vain-bhihre growls irritatedly next to me but Thua'ste looks at me with patience. "Right now the creature is in pain." He says but I shake my head. 

"Exactly! It's not fair to kill a creature that can't fight back." I argue. 

"Vain-bhihre fairly wounded it. This Kehm would not hesitate to attack you from up in the sky, pierce your neck and eat you if it had had the chance. Show no mercy just like they would show you none." Thua'ste tells me, laying a hand on my shoulder assuringly. 

"The kiss of midnight." Vain-bhihre says. "It's an honor to bestow the longest sleep upon a creature." 

I nod my head, swallowing the lump in my throat. I force myself forward, the creature still violently shaking its head. Show them no mercy. I creep closer to the creature till I'm able to jump onto it's broad back, grabbing its long neck just under its beak with one hand. It thrashes wildly under me, but my hold on its neck is hard. I clench and unclench my fingers tightly around the knife in my other hand, making sure my grip is right. I squeeze the creature's throat hard, forcing it to keep the top part of it still. Even though it's wounded it takes all my strength to keep it under control. I bring my knife down on the opposite side of its neck, creating a cut along it till it's wrapped around the front like a bloody necklace. My hand is full of blood as I retract it. I let go of the creature's neck in disgust, letting its limp body fall against the ground. I can hear Thua'ste clicking proudly as I get off of it and step away from its corpse. I feel weird. I feel sad for it, but at the same time, there's this rush. A rush that I killed something before it could kill me. I'm guessing this is what Thua'ste meant with show no mercy to those who will show you none. As I look at the staring, dead eyes of the creature, I see Connor. I see the man who threw me to the beasts without any mercy and I wonder how different the last few months would've been if I had been the one to hurt him first. In nature the weak are meat, and the strong eat. With the help of these Yautjas, I'm not at the bottom of the food chain anymore, and god does it feel good.

I'm back in the filthy shower room which had left me shaken and scared the first time, but now I'm here willingly. The clothes aren't torn off of me, instead, I'm disregarding them myself. My tongue tangles with Thua'ste's as he has me pressed up against one of the cold walls, lukewarm water flowing over our naked bodies. I push myself against his crotch, his thick cock pressing up against my heat deliciously. One of my hands leaves his shoulders, tugging on a couple of his dreads teasingly. He growls into my mouth, claws on my ass digging into the soft flesh. I feel him lightly break skin, but I couldn't care less. I understand now what had previously gotten him so heated after hunts. The power trip that follows the kill truly is intoxicating. 

"Are you challenging me, mate?" Thua'ste questions as he pulls back from the kiss. I smirk as I see from the spark in his eyes that he wishes I am. 

I tug at his dreads again, making him hiss out. "I am. What are you going to do about it?" I ask boldly, adrenaline still pumping through my body. 

He sinks his cock into me with one swift thrust, making me scream out. He slams in and out of me hard, my walls aching around his cock from the sudden intensity. His free claw finds my neck, dragging a nail over it before wrapping his big hand around it easily. 

"I'll have to show you your place." Thua'ste grunts out, eyes ablaze. 

I moan out at his words. I'm loving his rough treatment so much that I'm almost ashamed of myself. His hand squeezes my throat, restricting my air slightly. My legs grip his hips tightly, urging him to slam into me deeply with every thrust. My walls clench around him as I cum, causing him to curse out. Feeling him thrusting in and out of me like this while I'm cumming around him feels so good, making me eager for more. 

"I'm not sure I know my place yet, perhaps you should ask Vain-bhihre for help." I tell Thua'ste teasingly. I know I'm entering dangerous territory, but all I want right now is for him to fuck me as hard as he can. 

Thua'ste's face twists in anger, pulling out of me suddenly. He puts me down and turns me around, propping me up against the wall before reentering harshly. I'm barely able to put my hands against the wall before he slams me into it, the side of my face scraping against the wall because of it. All I can do is scream in pleasure as he starts fucking me again. The grip of his claws on my hips is painful, the force of his thrusts absolutely brutal. The pleasure drowns out the pain, my mouth hanging slack from the intense feeling in my abdomen. It doesn't take long before I cum again. My legs give out but Thua'ste doesn't allow me to fall, keeping me up with his iron grip. 

"You are mine." Thua'ste growls into my ear angrily. 

His pelvis hits my ass hard with every thrust, creating a loud echo of the sounds of skin slapping against skin and the wet sounds coming from my cunt. 

"Is that clear?" He questions, the strain in his voice and the erratic thrusts signaling to me that he's close. I am too, and I want nothing more to cum one more time. 

"Yes! Yes, it's clear!" I yell out. "Please Thua'ste, breed me!" 

I feel my cheeks flare up as I realize what I just said, but Thua'ste's cock makes sure the lust haze stays. My embarrassment quickly fates as he frees one of his claws, snaking it around my body to rub at my clit. I'm seeing stars at the combination of his wild thrusts and his rubbing, pushing me over the edge with another scream of his name. His breathing and groans are louder than I've ever heard them, clearly excited by my words. He continues pounding me, fingers not leaving my throbbing clit either. It feels so good that I feel like I'm going to lose my mind if this continues much longer. He suddenly stills deep inside of me, cum filling me rapidly. He's still rubbing my clit as he cums inside of me, drawing another orgasm from me. His cock throbs inside of my clenching cunt, continuing to cum for what feels like more than a minute.

Thua'ste pulls out of me suddenly, claws disappearing from my body. I wince as my legs give in, causing me to fall to the shower floor on my knees. "Ow..." I whine, turning around to look at him. 

From my position on the floor, he towers over me even more than usual. His cock is still hard, our combined juices leaking off of it lewdly as it throbs. "Don't whine. I've seen that you can take it." He tells me before swiftly pushing me down completely. 

I gasp as the water of the shower hits my face. The shock of the water wakes my legs up just in time to feel Thua'ste spreading them. He pulls me closer by them before encasing the right one between his knees, lifting the other up high. He holds my legs apart so harshly that I'm worried he might snap them like a stick. 

"I'm not done with you yet." He says, positioning his cock at my still cum dripping entrance. 

I swallow thickly, realizing that the dangerous look in his eyes has only intensified instead of taking off. One part of me screams at me to get away from him, but the other makes my heart flutter in excitement. He slides himself back into me effortlessly, filling me completely. The way he holds my leg up allows him to hit the deepest spots inside of me, making me cry out for more. My walls are still sensitive from my latest orgasm, intensifying the pleasure even more. The way he fills me is almost painful, stretching me to my limits.

Thua'ste thrusts himself in and out of me wildly. He lets out a low growl as his free claw palms my breast roughly. "You should see yourself right now." He tells me cockily. 

I turn my head to the side in embarrassment. I'm well aware that I lose myself when he fucks me, but I can't help it. No human as ever made me feel like this, borderline addicted to his touch. 

"Look at me!" He barks at me. He squeezes my breast as he starts to roll my hard nipple between two fingers. 

I turn my head back to face him, crying out in ecstasy as he rewards it with a sharp thrust. 

"Thua'ste! Fuck, I'm going to cum again!" I stutter out, writhing against the floor. It's becoming too much again, the tension in my abdomen coiling so tight that it could snap any second. 

His claw continues teasing my breast, the snapping of his hips not wavering. "Do it and I'll give you my seed." He tells me commandingly, eyes burning into mine. 

Something about his voice makes my body obey him without a second thought. With a few more thrusts I feel myself cumming again, fingers scraping against the floor as they desperately search for something to hold onto. I feel my cunt throb from my intense climax, clenching Thua'ste's cock eagerly. His thrusts slow down so he can slam into me harder. He has to tighten his grip on my leg to prevent me from slipping away on the wet floor. He looks desperate as he chases his own release. No coherent sound is coming from my mouth anymore, the strangled moans and cries that come out sounding just as desperate as his. He slams into me once again, this time stilling as his cum pours into me. He came so much inside me last round that now it feels like all of it will pour out instantly. Some does spill out, joined by lewd sounds. I whimper, squeezing my eyes shut. God, I could cum again from the feeling of his cock twitching against my abused walls. The hot feeling of his cum not helping either. 

Thua'ste doesn't pull out as he is finished, instead pulling me flush against his body, making me sit up between his legs. I'm panting wildly as he cups my chin, fingers stroking against my lips teasingly. "You did well today, so I'll spare you this time. Next time you provoke me I will fuck you till you cry." He tells me. 

My face heats up again at his words, my cunt clenching around him. It sounded so threateningly yet my body begs for it already. Thua'ste pulls out of me slowly and I notice that barely any of his thick cum is leaking out of me. He places my aching body on his lap with a satisfied look. He notices my surprised face, making him chuckle. 

"You did ask me to breed you." He tells me, his claws stroking from my stomach up to my breasts before pulling away again. 

"I-it was a heat of the moment thing." I tell him. 

I wish I could deny it, but lately, the idea of him breeding me has started to sound more and more appealing. I know Thua'ste would actually want to it to happen as soon as possible, but for me trying is enough of a turn on. I would like to postpone the actual thing for now, but I feel like he's slowly dragging me to like it becoming reality more and more.

Thua'ste trills against the side of my face. "We'll see what your body decides." He says before inhaling my scent deeply at the nape of my neck. "You are lucky I keep my word." He growls before wrapping his arms around me and picking us both off of the floor.

"Very kind of you." I tell him with a little smile. I'm grateful that he isn't letting me walk, pretty sure I would fall like a newborn deer. 

I absolutely don't regret provoking him. I consider it my second success of today. He fucked me just like I wanted him to, and even though my muscles ache I would do it all over again. Being in this room reminds me of what it was like back when he put me under that cold shower. I never would've guessed that Thua'ste would grow to care for me enough to get jealous of other men, nor that I would forgive him for what he did. Yet here I am, nestling into his chest like it's the safest place in the galaxy as he carries me to bed. 

The next morning came quick and I found myself in an empty bed. I knew that Thua'ste would be out to prepare for our leave, he said we will take off in the early midday on Vain-bhihre's ship. Apparently his can just fly itself back on autopilot. I think Thua'ste is eager to get it over with, preferring to arrive on Yautja prime the same day instead of taking his own ship and arriving in four. I wrap myself in the furs, savoring the warmth. I can smell Thua'ste on them. It's hard to describe his scent, but I would say it comes closest to oakwood and the smell of a hot rainy day. It's odd yet not unpleasant at all. My nose isn't good enough to smell it from the Yautjas directly, only noticing it on fabrics like the furs. I close my eyes again. Knowing that Thua'ste will return soon and take me before getting us both cleaned up, it's useless to get out of bed now. I try not to think about Yautja prime, but the thought comes no matter what. I'm anxious about what will happen. Though I have no doubt that Thua'ste will be my side through it, there is so much still left uncertain. Will I spend the rest of my life as an outcast? I push the thought away, thinking of anything else and praying that I'll fall asleep soon. 

It's time to say my goodbye's to Cikou and Yonka. I think I'll see them around again soon on Yautja prime, but from what I heard their clan is so big that we might never accidentally meet. I've finally put on one of the dresses and I'm overjoyed with it. It's a long, baby blue, flowy dress with long sleeves and an elegant dip at to accentuate my cleavage. I've tied a silken white rope around my waist to give it a bit more form there. I also clipped back the front strands of my hair with two of the golden hairpins. When I looked into the mirror I almost felt like I was back on earth for a minute. This is who I know. The girl in the floral dresses that would never shut up. My mom's waterlily. It feels comforting to carry that thought with me today. After all that I've been through in my life, I'm still Lilly, drifting on an unshakable leaf like my namesake flower. 

Thua'ste looks taken aback as I join him in the doorway of the ship. He has carried all our important luggage onto Vain-bhihre's ship already. He looks me over head to toe and I'm at first not sure whether he likes the outfit or not. 

"I know it's not what you are used to." I tell him, fiddling my hands nervously. To be honest, I really want him to like it. 

His eyes meet mine and I can see admiration in them. "It's you. I like it." He tells me simply. 

I smile widely, happy at his approval. I'm glad that he recognizes that this what I like and feel most comfortable in. I join him as he walks out of the ship. Cikou, Yonka, and Vain-bhihre are already waiting in the middle of the clearing. They look at me curiously as we approach. As I come closer I swear I can see a shadow of happiness on Cikou's face. 

"So this is how humans wear it. They don't fit me." Yonka says with a sigh. She is armored up completely, bio-helmet gripped against her chest like the other Yautjas. I wonder if she knows that she is as much of a beauty here as she is on earth.

"Humans have all kinds of sizes too. I just got lucky with these." I say, stroking a hand over the skirt of the dress. 

"Are you ready to leave?" Vain-bhihre asks the group, sounding a tad anxious. He's definitely worse at hiding his feelings than Thua'ste and Cikou, perhaps since he's younger. 

"Yes." Thua'ste replies as the first one. 

"We are too. We will visit a few other planets before returning." Cikou tells Vain-bhihre, drawing his eyes to him. 

There it is again, that look. I frown, confused at what exactly is going on. I know that I shouldn't judge it from just a look, but it's quite an intense one. Nobody else seems to notice though so am I just crazy? Maybe they don't want to see it. If my suspicion is right, then I imagine there isn't much room for him in the clan. If Vain-bhihre is into man, it must be a well-kept secret. I wonder whether I should ask him or Thua'ste, but I decide against it. I'm scared of what their reaction might be. 

"Let's meet up once I get back to Yautja prime. I want to show you the pits." Yonka says, pulling me from my thoughts. She's smiling widely. Whatever the pits are, they clearly bring her joy. 

"The pits?" I questions but she shakes her head. "It's no fun if you know in advance." She tells me strictly. 

I smile back at her. On the inside, I'm hoping that she isn't planning on dragging me to something weird or gross, but I'll just accept it. "Sounds like a plan. You know how to contact me." I say, pointing at my wrist gauntlet.

She nods her head excitedly. "Indeed." Her cheery expression drops a bit, looking at me more seriously. "On Yautja prime you might not be able to tell them off, but keep your head up high okay? Never show those fuckers that you are suffering." She tells me. I can hear that's she talking out of experience. 

"Of course. If they want to bring me down they better get in line." I tell her, joking about my own bad luck with people. 

Yonka looks pleased with my response, placing a hand on my shoulder. It's a bit hard to do the same to her, considering our height difference, but I manage. Her shake makes me feel like I'm going to fall over for a second, but after I laugh and shake her shoulder as well. 

"Good luck with your hunts, Yonka. Keep me updated." I tell her and she eagerly agrees to do so. I admire that she has learned to express her happiness even though Cikou is so stiff. Amanda must have been a natural optimist. 

Talking about that elder, as Yonka steps away he walks into frame. “I hope you’ll have better luck than my Amanda did.” He tells me surprisingly genuine.

“Thank you. Once again I really appreciate all you have given me.” I tell him. He only responds with a formal nod. 

“Hhmm. Farewell, for now, human.” Cikou says before stepping away again. Even if I wanted to say more to him, with that man I'm unsure of where I would even start.

We all say a quick bye to each other before splitting into two groups. As I walk to Vain-bhihre's ship I realize that I almost know a handful of Yautjas already. I would say it hasn't gone half bad until now. If it goes like this on Yautja prime there won’t be much to complain about. Yet, as I step foot onto Vain-bhihre's vessel a sense of dread settles over me. I think my unshakable leaf will be direly needed in the nearby future.


	21. Welcome to Yautja Prime

Vain-bhihre is driving me absolutely mad. He has been lecturing me about what to do and what not to do on Yautja prime for hours, making an already anxious trip feel even longer. Unlike Thua'ste's ship, Vain-bhihre's needs to be controlled manually. Both Yautjas have been operating these things for centuries so neither struggle with it, but Thua'ste proposed to be the one flying us to Yautja Prime. 

"Don't avoid eye contact completely, they will take offense. But if one looks angry avert them immediately." Vain-bhihre rattles on. He's sitting on the floor with his legs crossed while I lean against the wall, rubbing at my temples.

"Yes! You have told me this like an hour ago." I say irritatedly. I appreciate that he's trying to help out but we are starting to go in circles. 

He shoots me an irritated look back, raising his hand to point at me. "You are the most stubborn human I have ever met, that's why I'm telling you twice." He says, snapping his mandibles at me. 

"Oh, and how many humans have you met again? The ones that you killed within five seconds don't count." I snap back, dropping my hands angrily. 

"You little-" Vain-bhihre starts but Thua'ste cuts him off. He emits a warning growl from the captain's chair, clearly telling us both to cut it out. 

I sigh, straightening out my dress. Focussing on the soft feeling of the fabric relaxes me. That is till Vain-bhihre opens his mouth again. 

"It would grace you to be nicer." He tells me, sounding a bit snobby. 

"You are one to talk." I say with an eye roll. He would be the poster child for anger issues on earth. 

"You and I are not the same. They will not tolerate this behavior from you on Yautja Prime." He says, sounding serious instead of insulting like before. "You are a human, and you are a female."

I frown, stepping a bit closer to where he's sitting. "I thought Yautja females were warriors too." I tell him. 

"They are, but they still hold a position below us males." He answers, cocking his head slightly at my confusion. 

"But... I literally saw one of your female's fighting Thua'ste before they... you know." I say. Thua'ste had told me previously that only males are taken to be trained by their fathers and the girls' training is left up to their mother, who has to take care of any children regardless of gender or strength, but I didn't know they had less of a say. 

"Yes, most of our females enjoy putting up a fight. If one of them doesn't wish to mate they are allowed to wound or kill the Yautja attacking them. They are allowed to challenge anyone to a death match as well." Vain-bhihre says.

"But they aren't allowed to talk back?" I ask, confused at these principals. 

Vain-bhihre picks dirt off of the metal plates that cover his knees. "They are, to an extent. It's expected of them to be calmer than their male counterparts." 

I scoff. "I guess Yautjas and humans really aren't that different." 

At least they will be applauded instead of judged if they attack the person attempting to take them unwillingly. I guess I can't be too bitter over the fact that the woman isn't allowed to be angry or 'loud', seeing that it's like that a lot on earth as well. 

I glance at Vain-bhihre. I'm still so curious to know what his gazes meant. I wonder if I can subtly ask about homosexuality within their clan. After pondering for a little I decided to test out the waters. "So since you guys are all about reproducing, what happens to gay Yautjas?" I ask. 

He continues to pick at his armor, unbothered. "What does gay mean?" 

"Men who like men. Women who like women. Women and men who like both genders." I explain to him. 

He looks up with weary eyes. I notice that the claw on his knee tenses up, squeezing himself tightly. "Our kind does not have interests like that." 

I shrug, playing it off casually. "I see. It's pretty normal on earth you know." 

"We are not on earth." He snaps at me. 

My suspicion starts to feel more and more probable. I clearly hit a nerve, and the suspicious look on his face until I played it off says a lot as well. I guess it's none of my business, but I can't help but feel bad for him. I'm aware of how many people already struggle with coming out on earth, and in their world being gay doesn't even exist. Letting go of it would be the wise thing to do, I'm not in a position to change anything here. But, as Vain-bhihre said, I'm a very stubborn human. 

"Ship 4081XH, confirm your position." Sounds a gruff voice from the speakers of the ship. 

The remaining time had passed quite fast. Vain-bhihre still annoyed me now and then, but we mostly chatted about random things like fruit and vegetables that grow on their planet. It wasn't terribly comfortable on the ship. It's clearly only designed to bring you somewhere fast, with no spots to sit down at available besides the captain's chair. I had walked and stood around most of the trip. Sitting down on the cold, metal ground made me grow stiff. I tried my best to walk my nerves off, walking up and down the hallways of the considerably small ship.

"Landing at the lost temple in 6 minutes. Reported by ship 4081XH, controlled by Thua'ste." Thua'ste says as he presses a small button to his left while he talks.

He hasn't talked the whole flight besides occasionally telling me and Vain-bhihre off. I think that he has been pondering, and I wish he would tell me about what. Perhaps he's nervously picking apart every possibility like I am, but I feel like Thua'ste is too realistic for that. I walk over to his side, keeping a distance to make sure I don't disturb him. 

As I look through the window I get my first glimpse of Yautja Prime. I can see so much of the land, reminding me of the final half an hour of a plane trip on earth. Big areas of seemingly untamed green are mixed in-between grey, stone buildings that vary wildly in size. In the middle of the giant-looking city seems to be the city center. The buildings are larger around that inner circle, the one right in the middle making my jaw drop. It looks absolutely massive. The building has a circular shape and the statues decorating the property are visible even from up here in the sky. As we get closer to our destination, I notice that our landing spot is pretty close to the inner circle of the city, a big area covered with solid rock overtaken by greenery offering space for multiple ships. There is currently only one ship there and Thua'ste makes quick work of landing this one next to it. I feel my stomach churn as I feel the light bounce of the ship making contact with the ground. This is it, it's happening. 

"Vain-bhihre will bring our possessions to my house while we meet the council." Thua'ste says from beside me. I look at him as he steps out of the chair. He seems certain of himself, which is comforting. 

"Do we really have to go right away?" I ask him. Maybe I can get used to the planet a bit first, even if I'm just buying time in reality. 

"We do. As soon as the other Yautjas see you, word will be sent to them and we will be urgently summoned." He tells me strictly.

His expression softens as he seems to catch onto my distress. He wraps one of his claws around my upper arm comfortingly. "You will be fine. I will do the talking." He tells me.

I nod meekly, which is something I'll probably be doing a lot now. I don't get more time to fret about it as Thua'ste escorts me out of the ship after saying a quick see you later to Vain-bhihre. The air outside hits me like a brick as I set foot onto this planet for the first time. It's definitely a lot hotter and humid than I prefer, but like they said I can breathe and move fine. As we walk over the grey rock I notice that writing and even drawings are carved into it. I figure that's why Thua'ste called this spot the lost temple. His claw does not leave my arm and I wonder whether it's the make sure I stay close for protection or if it's to show his control over me to the rest of his kind. After the rocky terrain ends, there's a thin area of green separating it from the rest of the city, a long pad cutting through it. The trees and plants there don't exactly look like the ones from a forest nor from a jungle, but like an odd hybrid of the two. Thua'ste stays quiet as we walk the pad towards the city, and I do too as I am unsure of what to say. I find it funny that the paths seem to be made of black marble while the outside of the buildings is made of plain rock, but I doubt that he would find that very interesting right now. At the moment I'm just glad that no alien animals are jumping out at me from the line of trees. 

As we reach the end of the path I freeze. The path was quiet and without a sign of life, but now we are past that area I'm thrust right into their bustling city. Yautjas dressed in all kinds of armor walk over the streets, both houses and stores showing at all sides. It's overwhelming, my eyes wanting to look at everything at once. At a store to my right, a Yautja seems to be haggling with a butcher, who has creatures seemingly from nightmares laying on top of his stall. To my left two Yautjas stumble out of a bar, both having very little armor and short dreads. They must be the young bloods that Thua'ste talked about. But just as I froze, they all freeze when they spot me. Life in the city seems to freeze for a couple of seconds before there are loud whispers all around me. Thua'ste drags me forward by my arm, shooting everyone that we pass a warning look. Just like I expected the reactions are very mixed. Some eyes are filled with outrage, others disgust, and others curiosity. None of the onlookers dare to do or say anything though.

"Don't look at them, ignore them." Thua'ste growls from under his bio-helmet, grip on my arm tightening slightly. Unlike me, he can smell their musk, which gives away a lot of emotions. It seems like he has noticed some that he is not pleased with in the slightest. 

My feet can barely keep up with the speed that Thua'ste forces me to walk through the city with. I can't get a good look at all the buildings like this, which disappoints me. Even though the people might not be ideal, their architecture is definitely interesting. After a few minutes of hurried walking, we reach the center. I want to gawk at the building in the center of it all. Seeing it like this proves how impressive it's stature is. In front of the building, long stairs connect it with the plaza. On either side of the marble stairs, green-tinted water glistens underneath the shine of the two suns. Giant statues are situated on both sides. On the edge of the left pond stands a white, marble statue of a Yautja warrior, thrusting a spear with the head of a Xenomorph on it in the air proudly. The right pond has one in the same fashion, this time displaying a Yautja warrior that holds two knives crossed in front of his chest. Yautjas are walking around here too, making their way up and down the stairs or crossing over the plaza. As I gawk at the building they gawk at me, but like Thua'ste instructed I ignore it. 

Focus is needed to not fall as me and Thua'ste start making our way up the stairs. Each step of it is a lot thicker than they are on earth, making it easy for me to misstep. At least the claw on my arm will catch me if I fall. I feel a bit out of breath as we reach the top of the stairs. The entrance consists out of two giant metal doors, making the simple rock of the building seem even more primitive. Next to the doors stand two guards holding spears, neither showing any reaction to my presence. The outside walls of the building are decorated with scripture and carvings of all kinds. From what I can read and see most tell the stories of great victories, both in hunts and in wars, but it surprisingly also mentions plagues and other events that hurt their clan greatly. 

"We are here to speak to the council." Thua'ste tells the guards as we approach the doors. His whole posture screams confidence, which I find quite admirable. 

The Yautja that stands guard on the left looks at Thua'ste and then at me from under his bio-helmet. "I'm sure we would've remembered a human being on the schedule." He says skeptically. The guards are wearing armor made out of the same material as Thua'ste's, but they are covered in it almost from head to toe. 

"Do you think the council does not wish to see the human that just entered their clan?!" Thua'ste asks. The way he spoke the words does not leave much room for the guard to go against him. 

The left guard looks at the one on the right, who gives him a reluctant nod. I can’t see their facial expressions, but I’m sure they aren’t too pleased. Since Thua’ste might become one of their leaders I’m sure they have seen him around before. I wish I could get a glimpse into their mind, to know what they think about me being with him. The guards simultaneously press the scans on each side of the doors, which slide open with surprising ease considering their size. Thua’ste continues to guide me by my arm, walking us into the grand hall. Unlike the rocky outside of the building, the inside of it is completely made off of the same slick, black metal as the inside of their ships. A lot more thought seems to have been put into the decoration though. Long lights hang from the ceiling, three human skulls covering each, the light of the lamps shining through the eye sockets hauntingly. Smaller marble statues of Yautjas in a variety of poses are spread out over the length of the hallway as well, some even have golden nameplates. 

“How... fancy.” I comment, looking up at the macabre lights as Thua’ste and I walk down the empty hallway. 

“Human skulls were most suitable thanks to their size.” Thua’ste tells me. He’s acting so neutral now, and that together with not being able to see his helmet makes it really hard to estimate his emotions.

The further we go down the hallway, doors start popping up left and right and it starts branching off. I don’t keep track of how we walk, maybe we took a left and then a right or maybe reversed. My nerves and the same interior of every hallway makes it hard for me to register. We are walking into more and more Yautjas too. Most are wearing their bio-helmets so I’m not sure if they are shooting me nasty looks, but the atmosphere feels hostile. 

“Only speak if needed, understand?” Thua’ste asks me strictly as we stop our journey in front of a high door at the end of one of the hallways.

“Yes, I understand.” My mouth feels dry as I answer him. 

The door slides open seemingly automatic, revealing the council room behind it. The large room is curved, making me realize that we must have walked a lot to reach the round outline of the building. Inside stands a crescent-shaped table, chairs aligning it, and in the middle a throne. The spots are filled by a mixed group of Yautjas. 

“You and your human almost surprised us, but the whispers of the people were faster.” The Yautja on the throne says. His skin is almost pitch black with red accents on his large forehead and around his eyes. He sits on the large throne confidently, almost laying back on it. The throne looks quite old, made of the same solid rock as the outside of their buildings, the long back decorated with precise engravings that seem to have been fading over time. 

Thua’ste let’s go of my arm and takes off his bio-helmet, propping it under his arm. “I hadn’t expected any less. It’s an honor to stand before you, great leader U’yta, and your pristine council.” He tells the leader, lowering his head and eyes slightly. I mimic his actions but lower my head more. 

“I’m confused as to why you stand before me and this council, Thua’ste. Why is this human your captive?” U’tya questions.

As I look back up I notice that all seven members of the council are looking at me. Three Yautjas sit to the leader’s left, the remaining four to his right. They all look different levels of displeased and/or confused.

“I have taken this human from her home planet to be my mate.” Thua’ste answers straight out.

Enraged whispers and noises fill the room as the council members look at one another. U’yta stares at both me and Thua’ste for a good minute, his intense green eyes seemingly digging right into my soul. He raises a claw, making the rest of the members fall silent.

“Knowing you, I assume you have done your research.” U’yta says. He doesn’t look pleased but luckily doesn’t seem to be planning to kill me on the spot. 

“Yes.” Thua’ste answers. “I’m aware that brother Cikou had taken a human as his mate previously, and I know that their relationship was fruitful.” 

“You call having three sucklings fruitful?” One of the council members on the right questions. As I turn my head away from the leader to look at him, my eyes instantly meet his violet one, his left eye permanently closed by a thick scar that runs over it. I avert my gaze quickly but he chuckles in amusement regardless.

Thua’ste glances at me before answering him, clearly having noticed. “Yes, I do. For humans, that is average, Buh-kou.” He turns to look at all the council members one by one. “I have proven my virility many times, and have cemented a great and long legacy for myself through it. I no longer have to breed to guarantee our clan’s survival, I have done my part.” He tells them.

“You seem to have made up your mind, and we are all aware that I cannot deny you this after granting permission to Cikou, even if it was many moons back.” U’yta says as he straightens up on his throne.

The Yautja that sits directly next to U’yta’s left stands up, his armor making a clinking sound as it hits the metal table. “Great leader, as your right hand I feel obliged to tell you that I disagree. More hunts on Terra have proven fatal to our warriors than in any previous centuries. The human’s presence will be more alarming than it was in Cikou’s time.” He tells U’yta. I notice that his fists are clenched. He doesn’t seem mad but instead surprisingly nervous. He looks very similar to U’yta, the only difference being that his black skin has a reddish hue all over. 

U’yta doesn’t seem impressed, but he takes his time to think it over regardless. It’s clear that he values his right hand’s opinion even when he doesn’t agree. “If our brothers and sisters feel unease at the presence of a mere human, then they don’t deserve to be part of our clan.” U’tya declares. He and his right-hand man look at each other until the latter sits down.

“I do think it would be wise to set some boundaries, or _rules_ for the human.” A female Yautja with bright green skin says. Her dreads are very long and almost completely white. I note that she’s the only female council member.

All other council members agree except one, the largest Yautja of them all. Even as he sits at the table the height difference between him and the others is astounding.

“She is on our planet, in our clan. Perhaps I’m not seeing the same as you, brothers and sister, but this human proposes no threat to us.” He says. The trill of his voice sounds off and I guess that it’s because he’s missing his mandibles on the right side of his face. “I say she might as well be allowed to walk freely.” 

“Does she deserve that freedom?” Buh-kou questions loudly, violet eye returning to me once again.

“The human seems to be trained well enough.” U’yta remarks. His tone suggests that he’s getting tired of this meeting. If I remember what Vain-bhihre told me correctly, then they have had the same clan leader for over 10 centuries now. This Yautja must have seen too much come by to be ruffled up about my arrival.

“Does she? It seemed to me like she simply does not have a tongue.” Buh-kou butts in again. He really seems quite unique, with light brown skin that has honey-colored spots all over it, and those purple eyes. It sets him apart from the others. It’s a shame he has to be such a dick.

“I can talk, sir.” I tell him politely, looking at him directly. It should be fine to keep his gaze for now.

“So it seems.” Buh-kou says, looking me over in a judging manner. “What would you say that Thua’ste is to you?” 

I definitely need to choose my words wisely. The way he asked it made it clear that it’s a test. “Thua’ste is my mate and my keeper.” I answer.

Buh-kou seems to weigh my words before answering. I do my best not to glance nervously at Thua’ste while waiting on his next words.

“Your keeper? So you are aware of your position?” Buh-kou questions.

I hate the narrative of me being less than Thua’ste, but I know that I cannot show that here. “Yes, I am.” I answer, even forcing a polite smile.

“Are you satisfied living as Thua’ste’s subordinate?” The big Yautja from before asks, interrupting Buh-kou’s questioning.

I look over at him, making sure not to stare at the scarred part of his face. They can tell if I lie, but I can’t flat out tell them I want more eventually either. “I'm very grateful for what Thua’ste has given me.” I say, trying to keep it vague.

“Do we care for humans' feelings now?” The right hand of U’yta questions, sounding irritable.

“No, but if we wish to find out how much this human needs to restricted then it might be useful to know her mentality.” The big Yautjas argues. He stays calm, not showing his emotions unlike a lot of the other council members.

"Then let's skip to the most important matter. Do you swear you will oblige Thua'ste and our clan?" U'yta asks me directly. 

I nod my head. "I swear."

U'yta looks skeptical at my answer. "There will be situations in which you will not be pleased but will be expected to give in to our whims regardless, are you sure you will stay faithful through all?"

"I'm sure. I've discovered I'm quite adaptive." I tell him confidently. I can hear Thua'ste chuckle under his breath next to me. 

"Thua'ste, how confident are you in your human's ability to follow orders?" U'tya asks him with a dire tone. 

"She is a stubborn creature, but I can candidly say that I am very confident." Thua'ste answers. I look at him now. He doesn't face me directly, but the glance he shoots me seems assuring. 

"Very well. Hereby I declare that the human female can stay and that she is allowed to walk freely. However, I do not feel that we nor the rest of the clan need to show her respect that we normally wouldn't show other non accomplished members of our clan." U'yta says before standing up from his throne. I follow him closely as he walks around the table, slowly approaching me. 

"From now on, when you enter a room which contains other clan members, you will kneel." He tells me as he stands still in front of me.

He reaches out a claw, pushing on one of my shoulders. I kneel down reluctantly, not wanting to look up at him but forcing myself to do so regardless. It feels degrading, which I'm sure is the exact purpose. 

"You will stay seated like this till either you or they leave the room. Not only are you not a warrior in the slightest, but you are also human. Never forget that your life only continues because we decide so." U'tya tells me. I can see the thrill in his eyes, enjoying my submissive position. 

I bite the inside of my cheek to keep myself together. I feel like screaming, I feel like crying. I had been prepared for this, yet it enrages me regardless. 

U'tya turns around to face his council. "If my fellow council members agree, I would like to end the meeting here. I say we reconvene in a month." He tells them. All of them nod their head, agreeing, but I doubt there was much room to do otherwise. 

U'tya turns back around to face Thua'ste, a sly glint in his eyes. "I can feel you have more you want to say or ask, Thua'ste, but I advise you to save it for next month." He says and starts walking back to his throne. "Regarding your nomination for becoming a leader of this council, I think your favor has dropped. If you wish to continue being considered for the position, I would advise you to salvage your reputation." He ends off. It's so obvious that he said it just to bother Thua'ste that it's almost painful. 

"I thank you all for seeing us. I am looking forward to our next meeting." Thua'ste says, staying polite and not giving U'yta any reaction. 

Thua'ste pulls me up from the ground by my arm, giving a polite bow of his head before leaving the room with me. I feel tears welling up in my eyes. I don't feel that upset, but all the stress and embarrassment boils up. I let some tears fall when my eyes are threatening to overspill, wiping the wetness off of my cheeks quickly. It's better to let a few drops out instead of waiting until the faucet starts running without any stopping it.

"Why do we have to wait a whole month?" I whisper angrily to Thua'ste after we are some distance away from the council room. 

He looks at me and then quickly puts on his bio-helmet, making me wonder if he doesn't want to see my face right now. "It's a test. They think you will either have been broken in a month or will have done something that cost you your head."

I want to discuss more of my outrage with him, but he pressed a finger to my mouth. He waits for me to quiet completely till he resumes dragging me through the hallways. It seems that even though the hallways are empty, others could be listening around every corner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m very excited to hear what you guys thought about this chapter! I hope you are all well ♥️

**Author's Note:**

> If you like the story so far then please leave some comments/Kudos. Thank you so much!


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